Scallywag
by Agesilas
Summary: They were trapped in a boat, with no memories, no means to escape, most of their supposed crew mates seemed insane, and the captain didn't even knew what pirates were!
1. Chapter 1

**Diclaimer; One Piece belong to Mr. Oda.**

**Note : Erratic publishing**

**Scallywag**

Chapter 01

This is what the poster says

* * *

"_Shall I again regret strange faces lost, _

_Of which the present memory is forgot, _

_And but in unseen bulks of vagueness tossed, _

_Out of the closed sea and black night of Thought?" _**XX; 35 Sonnets by Fernando Pessoa_._**

* * *

From his point of view, the sun was glaring at him. Burning him with a stare whose purpose was to bore holes in icebergs. It was not pleasant, and way too hot. The heavy poking sensation on his temples hasn't nice either. Rolling to the side crumbling dry grass under his frame, is nose was instantly assaulted by the smell of dirt, wood, salty water, sweat… and was that meat?

Instantly, his stomach growled as if he had not eaten in two weeks. Then again, for all he knew, he didn't eat in the last two weeks. His memories were kind of fuzzy… he felt like he had forgotten something important, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe something do to with socks? No… he had a feeling that he didn't even use socks. Something warm? A blanket? A fire...Oh yes, a bonfire seemed a good idea just now. Even with the stupid burning sun above him.

His stomach roared again. Right. First things first. Where was that meat?

He raised his head, a layer of green grass and a wooden latter greeted him. The heavenly smell was coming from upstairs. A slamming noise made him look up to see a flag fluttering. Ropes shaking to the wind, and a black flag? With a skull and a straw hat? A giggle escaped his throat. He liked the flag, it was funny.

He was in a ship; he didn't really know how or why but dubbed it cool. There was somebody with green hairs snoring not too far from him, but he was just too hungry to inquire about odd stuff. He has a man on a mission!

Meat!

Bouncing far more easily that what a normal human was capable of; he climbed the stair – four steps at a time – and opened a door… only to let a strangled shout when a blond man in tuxedo fell right in front of him.

"Hwnhater…"

He blinked, momentarily distract by the smell close by. But then, the blond man did that strange sound again. Was that supposed to be some sort of word?

"Oy…" He poked him in the head. It did nothing. "Are you alive?"

Grasping one leg, the bouncing man dragged the blond one down one narrow corridor. Opening a door he found his goal. Kitchen! Hauling the blonde on the table, the bouncing man runs straight into the oven. For a moment, he was taken aback by the dark haired guy looking at him from the door oven. He stuck out his tong. The dark haired guy did the same. He pulled a face, and the other one copied it!

Frowning he opened the oven's door. A big and juicy roasted chicken was waiting for him. Snatching the plate, he closed the door. And the dark haired guy came back. And he too had a roasted chicken! Realization startled the man, chuckling he smiled at the dark haired guy.

"Oh… I get it! That's me!"

And for sure the reflection smiled at him.

While munching a piece of meat, he jogged back to the man lying on the table and rammed a chicken leg down the sickly looking blond throat. It didn't work.

"Oy, you have to chew." Grapping the inactive jaw, he tries to recreate the process, without much success. A mixture of drool and mashed chicken were now all over the blond man's chin.

"You're sick, you have to eat meat!"

"Omnhjihd…"

"Meat!"

"Hwnhater…"

"Swallows!"

He didn't see the skin of the blond man turning red, or the body tensing, or even the temple inflating like a balloon. So he was slightly caught off guard when the kick hit his chest, projecting him again the far wall.

"I said… I need water you shitty moron…!"

For answer, the blond man had a laugh.

"I knew it! Meat awoke you!"

The blond try to stay up, afraid of whatever this dark haired guy would do. What kind of room was he in? None the less he recognized a sink next to some strange white, flat and round contraception in ceramic that appeared to be drying. With efforts, keeping an eye on the crazy idiot, the blond opened the sink's cold water tap, to drink greedily. Rising again, coat, and sleeves damp the blond man, tugged his tie and frowned. An appalling realization had crossed his brain.

"Where are we? Who are you?" Then he blinked when a piece of meat just fell from the crazy moron wide opened mouth. Ew! Did he need to be that degusting? The dark haired man started to swing a piece chicken, with an impression of wonder.

"I… I don't know… who I… am?" Then blinking, the idiot shrugged, munching again. "Oh, maybe I just forgot..."

"You don't know who you are? You forgot?" The blond blinked.

"Well, yeah… so… who are you?" Asked the dark haired one pointing a chicken wing at the troubled blond.

"I…" Shocked the blond eyed the other man in panic. "I… I don't know!"

"Oh, I know you're Black Leg Sanji!"

"_Why asking if you know me?_"

"Well, that is what the poster says!"

"Poster…?" In the wall, facing the table, next to the door, was a small collection of poster. Blood let the face of the blond man when is mind clicked audibly. These were not mere posters. They were wanted posters. Frantically, he searched for this Black Leg Sanji finding quite easily a blond man with a curly eyebrow. He blinked, and then paled further. He was that _ugly_?

"Look! My name is Luffy… and I'm more ex…ewpan… espansive than you!"

Blinking again Sanji was extracted from his increasing bad mood, to see an idiot and poster grinning at him. Minus the straw hat, they were identical. So it's meant that these posters were faithful representation… God! He _really _was ugly!

"Is not that you're more expensive you shitty moron! We're criminals! That's wanted posters! And I'm a monster!"

Luffy – that was the name below his photo – tilted his head so as to observe the outburst of the newly named Sanji in another angle. But the screaming and turmoil didn't seem to have more senses even then. And Luffy was growing bored.

"I think I recognize this guy! He was snoring outside!"

That information didn't appease Sanji. Not at all.

"You mean there are other people able to see this disgrace?" He asked pointing his two hands to his face to stress the importance of his infamy.

"Are… you talking about your curly eyebrow?" Asked Luffy in confusion.

"OH MY GOD!" Shouted Sanji realizing something. "_YOU CAN SEE ME TOO!_"

His tongue was like a piece of dry wood, moving with difficulty against the pasty walls of his mouth. He was against a tree… no a mast, there a sail folded above him. A ship. But what about the grass under him? His mind jolted; something awoke him. A yell?

He jumped, startled, when three sticks slipped from his grasp. Sticks? … Why did he have three sticks with him? And strange ornamented sticks at that!

"Oh! He's not sleeping anymore!"

He looked up and frowned.

On the deck above him, where a dark haired midget, and a man whose face was dissimulated by a paper bag. The midget had a red sleeveless vest and blue short, various papers in his hands and the grin stamped on his face was a complete opposite of the somber demeanor of the Head-bag-man in a tuxedo.

"What's his problem?"He asked, eyeing the second one suspiciously.

The midget put is pinky finger in his nose not very concerned by the black cloud surrounding the hunched Head-bag-man.

"He didn't like his face. Hey, did you forget your name too?"

He looked at him annoyed.

"What are you talking about, midget? I'm…" The man blinked. His name escaped him. He couldn't even remember someone who could tell him who he was. "I'm… I'm someone, right?"

"I'm Luffy, this is Sanji!"The midget jumped in front of him, brandishing a paper. "And that's you! Zoro!" Climbing down the stairs at a more moderate pace, Sanji was looking around him warily, clamping his wanted poster against his chest. His grip tightening on the railing each time the ship cracked. "Look! You're him! Or he is you… or you're the same… well… he looks like you!"

Wrote in bold character was his name; Roronoa Zoro. Had he just escaped an explosion? He had wounds in that photo! And the background was kind of funny, like battleground funny. What he didn't understand was why the photo was on a wanted poster. And with a 120 million bounty no less!

"I… have green hair?"

The midget laughed, pointing an offending finger in his face.

"Ha ha! You don't even know what you look like!"

"What? Because I suppose you do?"

"Of course! I looked at my reflection a while ago…"

"So you didn't know!"

Luffy was laughing at the red faced Zoro, when another door opened to reveal a tall woman with dark hair and black clothes. She studied the group in front of her, seeming willing to understand what her eyes were portraying. She minded the fact that three men were observing her like hawks, but her priority was to make sense of this mess. She was on a ship. She knew that much. Eyes' climbing the mast, a flag was discovered. A Jolly Roger. The skull had a straw hat. Peculiar.

"We really are pirates!"Said one of them, the Head-bag one – Sanji and Zoro hadn't seen Le pirate flag until the woman stared at it. They didn't think to look… everything was happening so fast!

"Hold on!" Said one of the men sitting on the floor with various papers in hand. He had black hair, and is tongue stuck out between is lips, in concentration. Then with a victorious shout, he looked at her.

"Hello Robin, I'm Luffy!" Seeing her face he added; "Don't worry we didn't had names before!"

She awoke in a library, one that she has never seen before… but then again, she wasn't able to remember any other library. Ever. Being incapable of remembering her name, or age, or why she was on a ship was a troubling issue. And that young man wasn't making any sense. Nor was the Head-bag-man clenching abashed some kind of paper, or the green haired man who was discarding three swords recklessly against the mast.

"Did you just make out a name for me?"

Robin walked in the dark haired young man's direction carefully, but Luffy was happy enough sitting in the grass, and the other men were in their own little world.

"No! You have a wanted poster!" He seemed way too happy to inform someone that they were a searched criminal.

"… Interesting." Said simply Robin, taking the wanted poster and examining it herself. She had watched her reflection in a window so wasn't very surprised by her physical appearance. But troubled to see some kind of destruction in the background. Her name was…. Nico Robin, and was worth eighty millions. She was a pirate? So… These men were from her crew? What happened to them? "Can I see the rest, Luffy-san?"

"Yeah! Shi shi shi ! Look! I'm the most expensive!"

Was it possible for a pirate to be so childish? Sanji, who had stopped midway at Robin appearance, resumed to the deck only to collapse on the last step when a horrific scream went through the ship. Luffy and Zoro jumped at the same time, each of them completely lost. The now called Robin stayed immobile, seated next to Luffy, frowning all the while.

Sounds of racing were soon heard, and a door on the deck floor flew open…!

"… Raccoon?"

"That a raccoon!"

"It's our pet!" Screamed an over excited Luffy. "Oy! Tony Tony Chopper! Come here boy!"

Unfortunately, the poor pet didn't seem very upbeat by the idea. In fact, the raccoon like creature screamed again, bypassing Luffy before climbing the mast with an amazing speed leaving them totally astonished. Zoro scratched his head puzzled. Luffy pouted, but the disappointment dissipates immediately when a second creature appeared on the deck.

Now they knew why the raccoon was so frightened.

There was a tall individual with an impressive Afro hair style, top hat, cane, a black coat, and stylish red pants. But his most striking feature was his bones. There were _visible_… That is to say, he didn't have _flesh_. And he was _walking_.

"THAT'S…" Luffy looked at the posters identifying the newcomer thanks to spectacular haircut. "BROOK!" Shouted Luffy with stars in the eyes. "AWESOME!"

"Yo ho ho… I'm Brook, you say? Dear me, for a while there a thought I had lost myself…And you are?"

"Monkey D. Luffy… well, that's what the poster said…"

"Poster?"

"YOU'RE A FREAKING SKELETON!" Screamed Sanji and Zoro unable to restrain anymore.

"A…what…?" Started Brook before looking down at his hands. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'M A SKELETON!"

Luffy's laughter filled the deck while four lost people try do comes in grip with reality.

They didn't succeed.

And the raccoon screamed again. Running down the mast this time. This time, Luffy seized the terrified animal petting him with what sounded like a soothing voice.

"Chopper! Be a good boy! Chopper! Do you want a bone?"

The raccoon was still thrashing like mad.

Zoro gasped, his gaze fixed on something above them. The last one to look up, was Robin too engrossed in the wanted poster, but once she has seen it, she was incapable of looking away; this newcomer would give Brook a run for his money in the weirdness department.

A… man – or something similar to a man – with blue hair, only wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and a black Speedo was climbing down the rope. He had huge arms. Enormous.

"That's Franky! ...HE'S A ROBOT?" Shouted Luffy stars in his eyes. "That's so cool!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, turning her eyes to the wanted poster in her hand searching for this Franky. Ah, that's why she didn't notice. The only thing visible on Franky's poster was his head.

"Oy, people and… skeleton… could someone tell me… what the heck is going on?"

Luffy who seemed to have the answers until now was still giggling and rotating around Franky dubious frame, so Zoro cleared his throat resumed the situation.

"… We are a bunch of pirate in the middle of nowhere, with no memories, and no ideas of what is happening. "The green haired then added, like an afterthought; "And if this grinning midget knows your name is because you have a wanted poster."

"I'm… a criminal…?" Asked Franky and he didn't seem to know what to do with that information, and then the first part of the sentence entered his man. "You don't have memories too?"

"Welcome on board…" Sighted a depressed looking man with a paper bag on his head.

"But why? How? Where are we?"

"Your guess is good as ours." Said the skeleton. "I'm Brook by the way, and apparently, I'm also dead." Brook was in for a funk since the discovery of his lack of flesh. No one knew how to breach the subject. No one had even any ideas of how he could _move_. There was more pressing matters; like recovering their identities

"… Deepest sympathy for your loss…?"Franky turned his gaze to Zoro who seemed to be the less affected by the events. "We're only six?"

"I don't know, I awoke a little while ago." Zoro looked around, massaging his neck, noting that Franky didn't include the pet in the count. Now that Franky had said it, he could tell that the crew as rather small. His eyes fell on the only woman present. "Hey, ah, Robin… right?"

"Do you need something, Zoro-san?"

"Yeah, can you tell from theses if there is someone still missing?" He asked knowing that probably it was very plausible that if someone awoke in a pirate ship, he will most probably try to hide, or escape.

"If everyone in the crew as a bounty, and if the one, that Sanji-san have is his…" Sanji clushed more forcefully his wanted poster, before folding it into his pocket. "… then we're missing two." Said Robin lifting two posters. "Sokeking and Nami." Then she added looking curious, and another expression that Zoro could not place. Was that mischief? "I also found out who is the captain" At that comments everyone eye bulged when Robin sorted out a poster for them to see. "It was simple really… the flag has a straw hat, and that photo too has one. Also, his bounty is by far the highest… which seems to indicate that Luffy-san is the most dangerous man on this ship."

Startled everyone looked up at the flag, before looking down at Luffy who merely blinked a hand on his head, no doubt searching for a straw hat that was not there. Then shrugging and crossing his arms said;

"So? ... What's a pirate captain by the way?" And the crew has hard pressed to tell if his ignorance was due do their condition, or his childlike personality.

Blankly, Zoro – who wasn't stunned into oblivion – answered;

"The captain is the leader of a pirate crew."

"Oh… ok!" Luffy started playing with Chopper's antlers – wait! Raccoons had antlers? – And Zoro permitted himself to relax. "But… what's a pirate?"

Zoro grunted, slapping his forehead.

We're criminals." Said an agitated Franky. "Bandits of the sea! We're _bad_ people!"

"Huh? Even me?" Luffy sounded very distraught by that revelation. Robin chuckled, and Luffy whined at her. "What's funny?"

"Nothing." Stated Robin. "I just found the facts… interesting."

_No kidding!_ Though the rest of them. They looked again and still had troubles believing it. Luffy was way too childlike to be a dangerous captain pirate! But how to explain the flag, or the wanted poster? Not mentioning that he actually didn't know what a pirate was! Or maybe he forgot it like he forgot his identity…

And then, they heard a _splash_.

Looking over the rallying, lazily mind you, Zoro sighed. He was right about his theory of others amnesic member trying to escape.

"One of your crew mates is escaping captain."

Luffy looked at Zoro blankly. The realization only came after the pronounced look given by most of the crew. Trying to look serious, overbearing and cool – the other realized that he seemed more constipate than anything else, no doubt trying to hard – Luffy finally asked;

"Which one?"

"He has a long nose."

"Oh! That is probably Sokeking!" Said Luffy coming over, all seriousness disappearing instantly. "Or maybe not, he doesn't have the mask…"

"So, who is this?"

"No idea." Said Luffy shrugging. "OY! LONG-NOSE-GUY WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"If he is not included in our wanted posters, his probably an outsider, he may know what happened to us captain." Said Robin joining them.

Luffy laughed in delight, and trusted Chopper in Robin's arms.

"Finally! Something to do! LONG-NOSE I'M COMING!" And the recently revealed Straw-Hat crew's captain jumped ship.

The first sign that something had gone wrong were the bubbles. Then the absence of bubbles. Followed by the fact that a minute was long gone and there were still no signs of the young man.

"Don't tell me…" Started a Zoro stunned, a foot already on the railing.

"The moron doesn't know how to swim!" Finished Franky, jumping at the same time.

\\

"Is that shitty captain dying?" Asked Sanji leaning over the groaning Luffy. For some reason, Luffy was delirious saying strange thing like the water had stolen his strength. Zoro wringing is shirt was trying to explain – albeit irritated – that he had drowned, not because of the water, but because he didn't know how to swim.

"Aye buddy!" Said Franky when a drenched Long-nose-guy was seated on the bench mast. "It may be strange, but even if we're pirates, we're your friend, look!"

After closer inspection, they managed to find various similarities between Sokeking and the drenched runaway. Mostly, his prominent nose. The only one resisting the theory was Luffy, for whatever reason.

"I'm a pirate!" The idea seemed horrifying for the poor guy. That or because this crew was the most crazy bunch ever seen. They had a skeleton for God's sake!

"We better start searching the other one, before she decides to jump ship too." Said Zoro.

"And try to find some evidence of what's happening." Added Sanji.

Dispersing on the ship, Zoro took the still soaked Long-nose-guy (they didn't call him Sokeking because Luffy refuse to acknowledge him as such), saying that they had to find dry clothes.

It took them roughly two hours to explore the ship; the aquarium on the first floor amazed them, the bathroom too. They found a room with a proclaiming to be the Usopp Factory, but no one on board had that name, which seemed strange. They found two rooms and the count of beds confirmed that the crew was consisted only by those on the wanted poster. Below the deck, they found different rooms with a peculiar round arrangement. And there were three tangerines trees on the upper deck!

"Found anything?" Asked Sanji sitting on the bench surrounding the foremast.

"Nothing," Sighed Franky. "No signs of combat anywhere. Nothing seemed out of place! But this ship is great!"

"Yes." Said Robin pondering. "I had expected to find a torture chamber or prisoners… I didn't even found a cell."

"You were expecting what?" Shouted the now dry Long-nose-guy. "What were you searching for?"

"Well, we're pirates." Rationalized Brook.

"Don't worry Long-nose!" Said Luffy jumps next to Robin, to reach for Chopper who at thankfully calmed down. "We're good pirates!"

No one dignified that with a reply. What kind of good pirate had a four hundred million bounty on his head?

"And we're still missing a crew mate named Nami." Said Robin.

"And Sokeking!" Remarked Luffy, but again he was ignored.

"So we have nothing?" Zoro exasperated, sprawled himself next to Sanji. Their situation was worsening.

"Well, I may have found the ship's logbook on the girl room." Reveled Robin shows them a tick blue book.

\

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**Update 08-11-2012: correcting errors. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Still looking for a Beta-reader. Erratic updating.**

Chapter 02

Soliloquy's navigator

* * *

"_Sail away where no ball and chain, Can keep us from the roarin' waves, Together undivided but forever we'll be free." _Seven deadly sins by Flopping Molly.

* * *

\\

Luffy watched the book curiously, and then at the sudden brightness coming from his amnesic crew. Robin had seated herself on the grass, the blue and intriguing object in her lap. But Luffy was still a bit confused.

"And that's good because…?"

"The logbook purpose is to record data revolving around the ship and the crew." Seeing the glazed over gaze of the captain, she added for his benefice. "It's the story of your crew captain."

"Oh! I like stories!" Said Luffy sitting down with Chopper.

Robin didn't need to look around to know what everyone was waiting for, opening the book she start to read;

**Straw Hat's Crew Logbook**

**Ship name: Merry Go. Inherent from Gecko Island, East Blue sea. Draw and built by Merry of Syrup Village**

**Crew members: (captain) Monkey D. Luffy, Roronao Zoro, Nami of Cocoyashi Village, Usopp of Syrup Village, Sanji from the Baratie.**

Robin frowned. Only five members listed? At least, this confirmed Luffy's status as captain.

"We're not listed as well?" Asked Franky. "And who's Usopp?"

"It's only the start; we may only enter the crew in a later date." Said Robin. "And… there is a high possibility that some of our comrades died."

"Don't say things like that!" Gasped Long-nose-guy.

"But who start a crew with five members? Never heard of recruiting?" Disbelieving Sanji took a look at Luffy poking his nose with a pinky finger and sighed. "Forget I said anything."

"Why didn't we go to the last entry?" Said suddenly Long-nose-guy.

Luffy reacted automatically;

"We can't do that! It will ruin the story!"

"But we need to know what happening to us! And the one who write the logbook could have seen something!"

"I kind of agreed." Said Franky. "We might have an enemy right know, and in our condition it might be fatal."

"If I may," Interrupted Robin. "I already read the last entry."

For a moment there was only silence. And then, everyone exploded at the same time. Minus Chopper who thanks to the confusion got away from Luffy hopping to cross the deck undiscovered, only to be whisked away by Nico Robin. She took him on her lap, starting do scratch behind his ear, and in less than a minute, the diminutive animal went limp. And all that through the chaotic sentences exchanged by the Straw Hat's Crew.

"You know what's happening?" Asked Sanji appalled.

"Robin!" Luffy seemed somehow scandalized. "You can do that! _It's cheating!_"

"Just shut up! All of you! What did you read?" Zoro questioned.

"I could read to you the last passage." Said Robin ignoring Luffy's protest. "However I can assure you than nothing has written about anything that could explain our condition. From what I could gather, it was a normal day. They – we – had arrived in a small populated isled. It could mean that we were attacked, after that, at sea."

It was implied in her expression, that the fact of being attacked at didn't gave them any more evidence that them being attacked in land. Actually, Sanji though that they were lucky to have been attacked in the middle of nowhere; in land they would have been prone to disperse. Mostly because they were such an uncanny group.

In the ship, they were obliged to work together in the hope to find a solution.

"And reading the entire book will give us a clue?" Asked a Zoro frowning echoing without knowing Sanji's musing.

"Maybe not," intervened Brook in a tranquil manner. "But, it could tell us who we are, and in my case what I am."

True, they only knew their name. And even then, their name sounded odd do their own ear. Zoro didn't seem appeased, but grunted none the less.

_**2 June, Loguetown island, East Blue's sea.**_

_**901 hPa, wind 49 knots, E (81°)**_

"What that stuff means?" Asked Luffy. "It's getting boring…"

Robin frowned at the young man impatience. It's was only the beginning.

"It's basic navigation's information. It means that on the 2 of June a storm coming from the east hit the island of Loguetown in a sea named East Blue." Then she added; "If this is ok with you, I'm just going to pass the extensive and detailed list of supplies listed below. The only interesting purchased is a note book; a blue note book. So it's probably this one." Seeing as Luffy was now paying attention – storm and all – Robin continued.

_**This is the town where everything begins, and everything ends. Or at less when we talk about adventure. The true is that the story of this crew started one month ago, when a young man decided to take the sea without any knowledge in navigation, or any other know-how that everyone sane enough needs to survive at sea… he had only his guts, so I wasn't very surprise went Zoro revealed that the moron got sucked into a giant whirlpool.**_

There was a snicker. And someone murmured that he had a bad feeling about that.

_**Most of what I'm going to write was handed to me by the crew so that I can restore in these pages their endeavor. These chronicles are not, because of this, less truthful – except maybe the tales of Usopp that I need do crack down. **_

_**As I write these lines, were going in direction of Reverse Mountain, the entry of Grand Line, the most dangerous sea of the world. And we are only five. Five crazy pirates. We have to be I think, even just a little. Each of us is shouldering beautiful and amazing dreams, and we choose do start this journey as nakama. I still have some time to write about our beginning – that is the Straw hat's Crew beginning… when our captain lunched himself at sea, only saved of a treacherous whirlpool by hiding in a barrel**__._

"I knew it." Growled Zoro, while the cheeky captain was grinning like a mad man.

"This is the logbook of the ship, but it doesn't appears like the captain here, is writing it." Said Franky. "So… who is?"

"Well, I suppose the navigator is." Said Robin. "Did any of these names means anything for any of you? We may be in the Grand Line, as the log put it; the most dangerous sea of the world…"

"And we are pirates." Said Sanji massaging his neck. "We surely have enemies and the worse of all… I don't have any idea why I'm in the crew of this shitty captain!"

"The book is mostly full; it will take some time to read everything." Informed Robin.

_**Our captain is Monkey D. Luffy, native of the peaceful sea of East Blue. He comes from Dawn Island; the Windmill Village to be more precise. Luffy is a goofy, easy-going, naïf, and immature type of guy. Or this is what he let us see most of the time. I think Zoro too have is doubts. I only count them in one hand, but sometimes Luffy have moments of insightful maturity, and revels to be a fearless leader…**_

At this point, most of the present eyed Luffy bemused. Grinning like an idiot, the captain was not helping the description. Him? Mature? A fearless leader? Robin blinked, remembering that she was supposed to read.

_**Luffy is pure of heart, a far cry of the normal pirates that prowls the sea. And one of the two reasons of why a chose do follow him. I firmly believe in his dream. As I do with mine. Luffy also has some highly interesting feature like the fact that is entirely made of rubber because of the Gum-Gum Fruit…**_

"_SAY WHAT?_"

This time Robin had to put the book aside. Luffy was looking at himself in wonder, and everyone knew already that patience as not one of his virtue. Six pairs of eyes – and one pair of empty socket – were trailing one of his hands, one that was gently rising in front of them, and then…

"Oy, Long-nose-guy, pull my finger!" The tension rapidly escalating had promptly deflated because of the fart joke. "No really! Pull it! ...Oh fine! I will do it myself!"

And he pulled. Wide-eyed the crew looked the finger grew long, and long, and long, and longer until Luffy had is two arms wide open. There was a startled scream from Chopper, when Luffy released the finger; it bounced at the ceiling, lashing at the poor Franky who slipped on the grass, and missing narrowly the nose of Zoro, before the mad rubbery finger returned to his normal shape. But only for his owner to grape his face and start another show of horror.

"_This is awesome!_"

Detaching her eyes from Luffy, Robin picked the book again, and continued to read maybe the story would calm the child like captain.

… _**And he love meat with a passion rarely seen by man.**_

"Sooooo true!" Said Luffy, pinching his lower lips and stretching it until he could conceal his entire face.

Robin cleared her throat.

_**Introducing the crew by order of entrance, we will have to start with Roronoa Zoro. I'm troubled to say from which island in East Blue he comes from. He is the first mate, and thanks God, he's mostly sane. Unfortunately, he acts sometimes like a cavern troll. Not to mention the fact that he can sleep like a dead weight, and drink more sake than a regiment of thirsty barbarian**__._

"Hey!" Shouted Zoro red faced.

_**Despise that Zoro his**_ _**very disciplined with his training, and extremely loyal to Luffy. I understand that. More than his live, Luffy saved his dream. They don't talk about it so I don't know the details, but from what I could collect their story went like this; Roronoa Zoro young swordsman prodigy, master of the very unique three swords style, went away from home to train himself. And the moron got lost…**_

Gales of laughter erupted from all over the room. Luffy and Long-nose-guy ended so winded that they had do grab each other to not fall over.

"SHUT-UP!" Red faced Zoro punched the bench, most of them sobered up instantly, but Luffy… Luffy trying to smother his laugh with a fist in his mouth was betrayed by the shaking of his shoulder. At least it was silent. And them looking at Robin; "What the heck is a sword?"

"…It's starts getting weird." Said Franky while most of the crew went silent watching Zoro in disbelieve. "A sword is a weapon, its looks like a long knife, like to those." Following the index finger, Zoro found the three sticks that he had with him. Picking one, we could tell now that there was a handle. But how could it look like a knife? There was no blade! Seeing is look, Franky added; "The blade is sheathed in the scabbard."

Zoro pulled the handle; a slight ringing noise alerted him of the incoming blade. The metal was black; a crimson band seemed to follow the blade's line. Immediately, Zoro tucked back the sword, the scabbard hitting the cross-guard with a dry sound. Then posed the sword crossing his arms challenging anyone do comment. Zoro had a strange felling from that longue knife called sword. It was almost has it was… irritated.

Robin cleared her throat, dimly bewildered by the display, before returning to the logbook.

_**Zoro ended needing money, so using his skill started chasing bounties. His nickname come from there; Zoro the Pirate Hunter. Ironically, Zoro was so terrifying in his own right that he finished the rater short career getting in troubles with the Marines. A certain corrupt captain Morgan was involved, and Zoro was unfairly sentenced to death.**_

This time there was no laugh to be heard. Zoro stone faced, like all the other, started to understand that le logbook had far more than a few steering matter, or a vague resumed of the action of the crew. The author seemed, until then, genuine in his description. These pages really were to restore the steps of nakamas.

_**Zoro didn't like pirates. From what I can tell, he is merely tolerant of them now. Resuming; don't piss me off, and I don't cut you down.**_

_**I can imagine what the first time seeing Luffy was like for Zoro – I see it often with my owns eyes after that. So here we have Zoro minding in is owns business – in a cell, tie, or something – and Luffy arriving like a hair in the middle of the soup; "Hey, you look cool, want to join my crew?" …fair enough, Luffy is the casual kind of guy.**_

_**Moreover, after invading alone a military base to retrieve Zoro swords, destroying a statue, involving a wannabe marine named Coby, and saving a certain Pirate Hunter from the firing squad, Luffy gained his first nakama. Yes, even if no one beliefs it, seeing our captain kicking ass is awe inspiring like that. **_

"I'm awesome!"

Robin cringed at the yell and bended the book to read a side notes;

_**Never, ever, in no circumstance whatsoever, is Luffy to know that!**_

"Too late." Murmured Long-nose-guy.

_**Zoro's dream is to become the world's greatest swordsman. It a though path. But so is Roronoa Zoro. **_

_**With people like him at board, I need to be strong too. I cannot let myself grew soft; I'm the navigator, I will bring this ship trough storms, and Marine's fleet. And even if I have to blow the sail with my own breath I will bring them all to the One Piece!**_

"The One Piece?" Asked Sanji amazed. "They… we… we're after the Pirate King's treasure?"

"Maybe it just a figure of speech." Answered Franky shrugging.

_**I pride myself to be the navigator, second member of the Straw Hat's Crew, and the second most loyal nakama of Monkey D. Luffy. **_

_**But, it wasn't like that at first. Since my childhood I loathed pirates. I despised them. And still do. At the time I was angry against myself and the world. I trusted no one. Only money was important. And then, Luffy had to be kidnapped by a giant bird before crashing in front of me and saving my sorry and ungrateful ass. In all the senses of the word.**_

_**My name is Nami; I come from Cocoyasi Village, in the Konomi Islands of East Blue. Nicknamed Cat Burglar, my skills are drawing maps, emptying pockets, and a resistance to alcohol envied by all the sailor of the five seas!**_

_**When Luffy made his… uncanny entrance, I had already stolen a map from a pirate named Buggy. It was not any map. It was the map of the Grand Line's entrance. Luffy beat the henchmen bare-handed, and reveled himself to be a pirate. I was intrigued by his hat at first – supposedly his greatest treasure.**_

_**Now that I think about it, my shot at tempting Luffy in the way of the larceny was mirthful. I was mildly impressed by his strength. And he was only interest in my navigator experience… for his pirate's crew. After knowing that, my respect for him got down the drain, and without guilt, I successfully tricked him.**_

_**God, I was so stupid. He could have been killed. We both could have been killed.**_

_**Here goes nothing; that island was currently occupied by pirates the stupid and violent kind of pirates. Their captain was Buggy the Clown. The inhabitants had fled immediately after seeing is Jolly Roger. **_

_**Of course, the map wasn't only what I was after, Buggy had a treasure. And come hell or high water I was going do get it. I needed it. So I say to Luffy that I accepted to be his navigator at one condition. He says yes without hesitation. **_

_**And I tied him up.**_

"Oh, kinky." Mumbled Franky. Zoro choked on his own spit, while Long-nose-guy and Brook snickered. "Good for you Straw…"

"Are you a pervert?" Interrupted Sanji.

"Why, thank you Sanji-san!"

"It wasn't a compliment!"

"It felt like one…" Retorted Franky readjusting his sunglasses.

Luffy leaned his head – exaggerating the bending to exhibit his rubbery power – a confuse expression on his face.

"I don't really understand…"

A glare from Nico Robin was all that kept the crew to burst out laughing.

_**Until then, my plan was perfect; I brought a tied Luffy to Buggy saying that he was my boss, and that I was tired of dealing constantly with the idiot. I even brought the map back. Buggy bought everything that told him. He welcomed me in his crew, put Luffy in a cage, and the all bunch was ready to drink until passing out. I stick do my story waiting for the opportunity to steal the treasure, and freeing Luffy. Even if a thought of him as a vile pirate, I wasn't cruel enough do let him in Buggy's hands.**_

_**But my plan didn't work.**_

_**Buggy wanted to test my loyalty by blasting Luffy with a canon. Almost at point-blank range. At the time I wasn't sure of what I was more terrified about. Killing someone, or being killed? Murdering someone to save my skin, or dying to preserve my values?**_

_**Luffy saw it. My hesitation, my hands shaking. Even now, I clearly remember his words.**_

"_**That's what you get when going up against pirates unprepared!"**_

_**I try to look confident and sarcastic when asking if he mean prepared to kill someone.**_

"_**No. It means being prepared to risk your own life."**_

_**He was suddenly serious, no joke, a grim smile. I thing that it was the look he gave me that sealed the deal. Zoro call it the "It's your call" look. The one were Luffy gives you a choice between a hammer and a hard place, and you end up choosing the good path even if you know that you're going to have your ass handed do you.**_

_**So of course I had to save the bastard. Or try to. It was me versus an entire pirate crew. I lost my mind over there…Thank God Zoro arrived in time, if not; we would have to pick little pieces of Luffy all over town. **_

"Hi hi hi…! Thanks Zoro!"

_**I really thought that Roronoa Zoro was cool right there. Cutting Buggy without sweating, using three swords with a bad-ass move.**_

Zoro grinned, trying to imagine himself with three swords. Then grimaced guiltily glancing at the swords that he let abandoned next do the mast while searching for clues. But, in combat, were to put his third one? He only had two hands. In his mouth? No, that will be stupid. But what other option did he have? One of his feet?

_**And then, Buggy reassembled himself.**_

"_He did what?_"

_**Apparently the clown captain was the user of the Bara-Bara-Fruit. He was a sectioned-man. Until then, I never see someone who had eaten a Devil's Fruit. I tough they're merely a myth.**_

_**The situation was bad; Zoro received an injury, Luffy was still behind bars, and I'm not the combat type of person. But somehow we escaped, blowing up Buggy and his crew with his own canon... and Luffy at the guts to present is new navigator to Zoro. I never really at a chance to turn him down, right?**_

_**We fled. Until Zoro who has carrying Luffy's cage despise his injury, decided to take a nap in the middle of the street. And a dog ate the key's cage that I had great difficulty in stealing. Rotten luck, isn't it?**_

"You bet!" Grumbled Long-nose-guy.

_**But then, Boodle, the chef – battle armed – of the invaded village strolled down the street, offering a bed for Zoro. We learned that the dog, Shushu was guarding a pet shop waiting for his deceased owner to come back. Sad story. But I didn't have the time to mull it over; the clown bastard released a lion and his trainer on us! At first, we run… only remembering Luffy still stuck in his cage when behind the safety of a house.**_

_**Somehow, the lion destroyed the cage, and Luffy kicked his ass. The trainer and lion destroyed the pet shop, and Luffy kicked their ass again.**_

"I like this story." Clapped Luffy.

_**From there it's gets a bit messy. Angry a let it slip that pirates had killed someone important to me, Buggy special canon ball destroyed the house where Zoro was sleeping, the later awoke refreshed, Boodle got mad. I learned that Luffy had rubber power, and that he wanted to become the next Pirate King. That his straw hat has to be revered above everything. I learned that Zoro has a high tolerance for pain, that or he's a masochist. I stole Buggy treasure. Luffy saved my skin, again. I tied a reduced Buggy– the sectioned torso flew in another direction I think – and Luffy send him flying in the horizon. And that how the small Straw Hat's crew saved the day.**_

_**I didn't knew it, but I was already part of that. I was just too blind to see.**_

_**Moving on… **_

_**Or not. I ear Luffy screaming something about the light house.**_

"She put a note…" Say Robin clearing her throat. "They good stuck in Calm Belt, but there is no indication of what Calm Belt is."

"Why not move to the kitchen." Said Franky. "… I'm hungry."

\

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	3. Chapter 3

**Note**:** I tried to be a bit more careful with _is-his_, _were-we're_, do-to, and _your-you're_. As English is not my first language sometimes my brain just doesn't see the difference between similar sounds. Hopefully this chapter will be more pleasant to read.**

**I try to change the summary following Dartya's advice. Thank for the reviews and critiques, they are all appreciated.**

Chapter 03

The Valiant Warrior of the Sea

* * *

"_A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."_ Louis L'Amour

* * *

It was an awkward and difficult predicament that stopped all males short.

The dining-room was a comfortable looking area, a full furnished open kitchen on the left side, and a long green couch joins to the wall on the right. Excluding the metal plate full of chicken bones that Luffy was eating earlier, the room was clean, like the rest of the ship. The table in the middle had eight chairs. The round windows weren't enough to illuminate the area, for that various oil-lamps were used and their glow gave the room a homey feeling.

So the kitchen on itself wasn't a problem. No, the problem was the function of the kitchen. Namely; _cooking_.

They didn't want to assume anything, but none of them had – or remembered having – some kind of talent in the kitchen. There was a lady with them, so of course their first tough was that she had to know more than them, right? But they didn't want to assume. The lady in question didn't appear to be the kind of woman that cooked for a bunch of pirate… but then again what kind of persons cooked for pirates? If they had do imagine – and they imagined, because without memories they had to find answers themselves – it will be someone with an impressive built, large shoulder, a bloody apron, and a large knife…

"I think I know who to boil water." Said Robin suddenly pulling the men from their wandering minds. Then added with a curious expression. "It's quite strange actually, I know how to boil water but I don't remember doing it myself."

That drew their attention.

"I know how to boil water, too." Said Franky shrugging. "And I know what a pirate is, but have no memories of being one.

"So, only our personal experience disappeared? I don't think is totally right; we know the basics walking, reading… But something is missing." Said Robin marching in the kitchen direction opening randomly a cupboard.

At a strangled sob, everyone turned their head to see a healthy and a depressing aura around the paper bag hiding Sanji head.

"I'm a failure! I don't even know how to boil water!"

"Oh come on, don't cry!" Said Franky tugging the sobbing man, and pulling him toward the table.  
Zoro sighed and dragged his feet in the kitchen area where Robin had finally found a pan. She raised an eyebrow, when he picked up a cooking book.

"Don't look at me like that, there is no way in hell that you could make food for all of us by yourself."

"Not at all, Zoro-San." Said Robin. "I just didn't expect you to know about cooking."

"I'm sure do know how to make an omelet; break some eggs, ad some ham and cheese. Easy."

Robin raised another eyebrow, and stepped aside do give him plenty of room to access the oven merely blinking when he took the pan out of her hands. Did he just growl at her?

"Maybe if we make a list of what we know, we may be able to understand what happen to us." She said trying to keep a constructive conversation. Robin could tell that she had somehow hurt the green haired man feeling, but then _how_ was out of her grasp. Did she touch a sensitive cord about the fact that he couldn't feed himself or something?

"It will be easier to make a list of what we don't know."

Luffy voice drew her out the loop. A list of what?

"How do we to that, if we don't know what we don't know?" Asked a puzzled Franky.

"I don't know how to swim."

"But you only know that because you try to swim before sinking like a hammer! ...And stop pouting! You're supposed to be the captain! Be a man!"

"A need tomatoes…" Growled Zoro apparently having found a recipe that suited his taste.

"I know what a tomato is!" Said Long-nose-guy.

"I know meat!"

"Of course you do, Luffy… so I suppose that we know what food is, in general." Said Franky, before shrugging.

"Eating is one of the most basic needs."

"I don't know what a tomato is!" Shouted Sanji.

"The damn fridge has a padlock!" A list of profanities came from Zoro. Red colored his cheeks.

Robin cringed seeing two frenzied scenes evolve in front of her. The word stand-up comedy sprung to mind.

"How can't you not know what a tomato is?" Asked Franky.

"Who needs a padlock for a fridge?"

Everyone was strained, the captain had the mentality of a five year old, they had a talking-moving skeleton, assisting at the meltdown of the resident Head-bag-man wasn't what they needed. Oh, and the supposed first mate had lost is head over a padlock. For a moment Robin wondered if with their memories, they would be more reasonable… however, remembering a few quotes from the logbook, she faltered. Well, at less they were an entertaining bunch. Maybe she could try to put an apron on Zoro…

"It's red, and round!"

"What do we have in there? Ten pounds of oyster pearls?"

Oh God. The swordsman at reached a mean looking kitchen knife. Better try the apron's idea another day.

"It's a legume!"

"Hundred cans of Caviar?"

And Brook added to the confusion of the poor sobbing Head-bag man.

"… Admittedly, it can be a fruit too…!"

Thankfully someone shouted before any harm was inflicted to the fridge, or mental damage to Sanji.

"…POCKETS!"Long-nose-guy flinched when the bunch of amnesic pirates looked at him, some of them red and stressed out. Not to mention that the empty sockets of Brook, and the two holes of the sniffling Sanji were both a bit creepy, each one on his own disturbing way."The key… is in a pocket… or somewhere in the kitchen…" And he emptied his pockets on the table.

"Good idea." Said Zoro setting the knives aside, after blinking several times pulled out from his angry stupor.

"I'm hungry too." Retorted Long-nose-guy. "Wha… are these marble balls?"

While Chopper was still immobilized on Luffy lap, everyone started rummaging their pockets. Zoro had nothing. Sanji had cigarettes, and admonishing everyone didn't lose time in making a third tear for his mouth before lighting one. Robin found coins. Franky discovered that he had no pocket; duh, Speedo. Brook had some money and thin thread. Luffy pulled out an empty sea shell, a candy, a brown leaf, a pelt of an orange, a bone…

"Why are you looking at me?" Asked Luffy.

"Did someone found anything interesting?" Robin didn't dare to look at Luffy direction anymore, and Long-nose-guy was trying to differ the attention of a bemused Franky went a purple rubber band he had found in his chest pocket.

"No, and the jars above you?"

Robin and Zoro looked over their head at the small decorative blue jar above the long island separating the kitchen and the dining area. And in one of the jars, they found a small chromed key that appeared to be mocking them.

\\

"Can you read more?" Asked Zoro turning to Robin. His voice a bit rough because of the sake, but he felt less faint than when he awoke. They had finished eating a while ago – another mystery, the skeleton could eat! – With a full belly and the heat they were all a bit drowsy.

"I can." Said Robin reaching for the logbook.

_**I think that this crew will not survive without me. I had the proof of that just some hours after our encounter with Buggy. Even if they managed to salvage a small ship from Buggy fleet – and of course I had mine – neither Luffy nor Zoro though about supplies; they are at sea without water, food, and they even didn't have a damn compass!**_

Zoro frowned at the book, not wanting to see the laughing faces around him. That damn woman was embarrassing him event without being there!

_**Their boat was small, and even an amateur could tell that they couldn't make it to the Grand Line in something so tiny. But one way or another I knew that given the opportunity, they will try. We ended up on a deserted island because Luffy wanted meat; the only thing worthy of note was meeting a box-man, named Gaimon, and leaves it at that.**_

_**I hoped at that moment that the next crew mate would be sane. It was asking too much. At least, he has a survival instinct that I approve of.**_

_**Needing a ship, we headed north. And thus in Gecko Islands, no far from Syrup Village, we meet Usopp. The third member to join the crew, and our gunner. His aim is surprisingly good – even if sometimes he seems dazed by his own skills. I couldn't tell at first; I thought that his only significant features we're his long nose and curly hair.**_

Robin raised her head to start like the rest of them at Long-nose-guy. He seemed a bit shabby, touching is face and blinking.

"I… I have a name… Usopp…" He breathed deeply, before moistening is lip. "My name is Usopp."

_**We only happened to finish landing our two small ships on a narrow shore when Zoro discovered some kids spying on us. Three of them flew immediately, the last one, had our age and shaking legs. Also he shouted with a confident voice; "I am the Great Pirate Fleet Leader, Usopp, who is in charge of the security of this village! I'm also known as Captain, Captain Usopp!" Adding that it was better we didn't touch the village because he had with him more than fifty million of men… or something like that.**_

"HA HA!" Started the newly named Usopp. "Who would have thought that I was such a great man? No fear ladies and gentleman! The Great Captain Usopp he's going to save your memories! No one will stand in our way!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, delivering the punch line.

_**Of course, he was lying.**_

"_I WAS WHAT?_"

Luffy exploded in gales of laughter.

_**Even without the outrageous count of fifty million men, the claim was ludicrous. Luffy found him funny, and we ended up sharing lunch in a restaurant. Usopp gave us a lead about a young rich lady that could eventually tell us how to acquire a boat, and in some way got the delusions that we wanted him as captain.**_

At this point, Usopp was trying very hard to hide behind the bulky form of Franky.

_**After that, we had to track him down (with the help of three children, friends of Usopp). Apparently Usopp was a good friend of the rich lady; she had a weak constitution, and was constantly ill. Her name is Kaya. Usopp will often come by her window to tell her fabulous stories of the adventurous Valiant Warrior of the Sea. Great guy, hm?**_

_**So there goes Luffy, requesting a ship, when the butler of Kaya-san, arrives with arrogant air and start insulting Usopp's dad. Kaya-san did try to defend her friend, but the butler – I don't remember his false name…**_

"False name?" Interrupter Franky. Robin shrugged.

… _**Was a vicious man. Usopp snapped, punching him in the face. We didn't linger in the bad atmosphere.  
We got separated from Usopp and Luffy, I wasn't preoccupied. Even when an odd hypnotist, marching backward, fell asleep in the middle of the road with his own damn spell.**__** Then it got even stranger when Usopp, some hours later, ran by us without stopping… and after a rapid search we found our captain asleep **__**at the foot**__**of a cliff**__**. Apparently, the handiwork of the hypnotist.**_

_**The story takes then a dark turn.**_

_**The butler wasn't only a jerk, it appears that Luffy and Usopp surprised him while he was given final orders in his grand plan to assassin Kaya-san and inherit her fortune. Is real name was Kuro, a pirate captain that everybody though dead. His crew while acting under his second-in-command, Jango the hypnotist, were to attack the Syrup Village by entering a narrow path and where the sea was deep enough so that a big ship could land without problems.**_

_**Unfortunately, the villager didn't believe Usopp when he announced the pirate arrival. Figures that this sad dumbass had the habit of running across the village, each morning, shouting that pirates were coming!**_

_**Then he bravely lied again to protect the three kids, the only residents that believed in him, stating that he invented a story because he was mad at the butler. Moreover he decided to save the village by himself. And that's how Luffy, Zoro and I, found ourselves aiding Usopp trapping the narrow path with greasy soot.**_

_**Guest what, in the hue hours of the morning, hearing battles scream coming from north, we discovered that we were standing in front of the wrong path. And then I realized that our boats were in that northern path and my treasure were in danger! In a panic I slipped in the soot, gripped the first thing at hand – in this case **__**Zoro**__** – and graciously saved myself from a greasy descend. **__**Zoro**__** wasn't so lucky.**_

"This woman is trouble." Murmured Zoro parching is throat with sake.

_**While tumbling down the rest of ran in the screams direction. When I arrived, Usopp was about to be hypnotized, and they're already robbing my treasure! Luffy wasn't even there and he was supposed to be the first one to arrive!**_

_**Slowing down a bunch of pirate was the only thing we could do. And even then, not for long... Do preserve my dignity I will not go into details. Let just say that Luffy and Zoro arrived on time. The two of them were kind of pissed but, that was good for us, and bad for the Kuro pirates.**_

_**That's what I thought, until Jango hypnotized his own men's to go Berserker on us.**_

_**And Luffy was hypnotized too.**_

_**I was in the first seat to see the avant-première of is Gomu-Gomu-Gattling-Gun and punch the day out of Kuro's Crew. He started destroying the Kuro's ship and only God know what other devastation he could have caused had Jango not annulled the hypnotism. Yet, the broken figurehead cat with most of the prow managed to fall on the unlucky pirates. **_

_**And Luffy promptly fell asleep.**_

_**The Nia-bun brothers – human's version of some kind of Siamese cats – joined the fray. One of them, the slim one, armed of claws succeeds in robbing Zoro of two of his swords. The slim human cat didn't even use them, he throws them away tricking Zoro and forcing an opening for the fat human cat!**_

_**Usopp wanted to shoot at them, but Zoro firmly reminded us that they could attack us. And their combined attack was powerful enough to crack the ground and break bones. So I jumped, running to the discarded sword hoping to bring them to Zoro. **_

_**Sadly, Jango got me in the shoulder with a large ring weapon. I was down, and the only thing that saved me was the impromptu arrival of the traitorous butler, formerly known as captain Kuro. He was pissed, bad for us, bad for them.**_

_**The Nia-bun brothers, who had given Zoro so much trouble, didn't appreciate the insinuation that they were weak coming for their former captain, and attacked him. Kuro wiped the floor with them, using very long claws, so easily that it wasn't funny. Then Kuro gave an ultimatum; if they didn't kill us in five minutes he was going to kill everyone.**_

_**I try to reverse our bad situation by kicking Zoro sword on his direction. My mind was a bit fuzzy because of the loss of blood, but I'm sure, Zoro used a technique named "Lion Killing Swords", beating the Nia-bun Brothers in one blow.**_

Turning the page Robin found a basic illustration of Zoro in what she assumed to be the Lion Killing Sword position. She turned the book for the rest of the crew; none seemed more puzzled than Zoro himself. He really had a sword in his mouth!

_**And that's when a thought I could use the distraction to wake up Luffy. I was so concentrated that I only had a glimpse at Jango's flying weapon, when Zoro shouted. Trying to save my hide, I run past Luffy when this stupid captain just straightened, screaming something foolish about me stepping on him and… he was right on the flight weapon's path.**_

_**So here was I, eye wide open, seeing my prospective captain with a metal ring, of the size of a fist, embedded in his skull. Incredibly, it was my brain that shuts down. Even if only for a second my thoughts were stuck in one sentence; "My God, Luffy just died!"**_

_**The following moment he reached behind him, unstuck the metal ring, before starting to shout that he was hurt. It wasn't even **__**the**__** "I'm going to die" kind of hurt, but more **__**a**__** "The paper cut my finger" kind of hurt. Luffy was good to go in an instant. At that moment, the only thing that died was any prospect, on my part, do put the word "Luffy" and "normal" in the same sentence.**_

Most of them rivet their eyes to their proclaimed captain watching his wide grin in a new light.

_**Ah, and the bastard Kuro was still counting the time. I will like to say that Luffy kicked is ass in one minute, but the situation only got more complicated. **_

_**Kaya-san just strolled out of the wood surrounding the path with the intention of confronting Kuro. Apparently, Kuro attempted to kill one of the manor attendants, a man named Merry, but he survived his wound, and managed to warn Kaya-san. For a moment Kaya-san truly stood brave in front of the former pirate captain. Sadly, the bastard knew her for years and crumbled down easily all the willpower that she had assembled until then.**_

_**Usopp couldn't stay silent and rushed do attack, but Kuro was far faster and just when a though that Usopp was done for, Luffy's rubber punch hit Kuro right on his chin! And when I was beginning to relax the three kids who followed Usopp everywhere **_**had**_** to appear to beat a former captain Kuro already down – one of them had a freaking frying pan!**_

_**Kuro picked himself up, appearing oblivious to the presence of the kids and Kaya-san, before strolling down the path, kicking Usopp on the way and starting giving orders; Jango was to oblige Kaya-san to sign a legal paper before killing her, and Kuro wanted to fight Luffy to dead. The battle started again; the three kids following Usopp orders started running with Kaya-san. Zoro got distracted by a Nia-bun brother, but effectively eliminated the threat, before grasping weakly Usopp – the poor guy could even lift a leg – and running in the world to stop Jango.**_

_**And the battle between Luffy and Kuro begin. In the first exchange of a rubber punch against sharp and long claws, Kuro had clearly the advantage. Kuro was a meticulous fighter, but I think that seeing his plan – one that he had planned for several years – failing because of four young strangers just rubbed him in the wrong way. He got careless.**_

_**And telling Luffy that pirate were pawns under the orders of their captain, that he wanted out of that live because he had enough of battling; and that's why he wanted Kaya-san fortune, to have a good life… well that wasn't a good idea. Luffy had pride in being a pirate, and Kuro was mocking that pride. Well, to tell the truth I did see much of that fight. I had the very important task to retrieve the treasure in the Kuro crew ship. It was disappointing to realize that there was almost nothing…**_

"Luffy was fighting to death and she was preoccupied with treasure?" Said Franky abash. Zoro was busying himself with a bottle of sake, probably trying find a bit of _him_ in the description of the log. Long-nose-guy was munching bread.

"It could be a proof of confidence in Luffy's abilities." Proposed Brook eying Franky blankly, but that was maybe because he was quite incapable of facial expression.

"Yeah! I can win against the guy!" Said Luffy

_**When I come back, Kuro was using a finishing move. It was horrible; he was cutting everything, Luffy, the pirate crew, even the cliff! I couldn't follow him with my eyes, but Luffy succeeds in catching him from thin air! And then restraining Kuro with his own rubbery body, Luffy stretched his neck. Rubber Bell was the name of the attack. Accurate, really, I might have heard something crack when Luffy's skull crashed into Kuro's head.**_

_**Luffy grasped an unconscious Kuro launching him on his crew ordering them to never come back, and I just quick enough to catch my captain before he fell face first on the rocky path.**_

_**Luffy said something about the Kuro's crew being misled, which for me, at that time, didn't make any sense. All pirates were like Kuro; vicious, cruel, and selfish. When I asked his reasoning, he averted the question saying he wanted meat; the fight had opened his appetite.**_

_**Usopp and Zoro came back victorious.**_

_**The village has saved. **_

_**And following Usopp wishes, the resident of Syrup Village we're spared the tail. I can understand his motive. It could be troubling for peaceful people to be suddenly faced with the perspective of a large band of violent men invading their house, moreover under the command of a man that some of them considered a friend.**_

_**Kaya-san offered us a ship, a caravel; Merry Go. Constructed by the man that Kuro had wounded, Merry. The latter was explaining to me the correct way to sail the ship when something big, brown, and screaming hurtled down the same path of our victory. It was Usopp. And his bulky backpack.**_

"What were you doing?" Snickered Franky.

"_**SOMEBODY! STOP ME!" Indeed, Luffy and Zoro were prompt to respond to the call… by stopping him with a foot each on the poor Usopp face. That doesn't even is the funniest part. The fool really had the intention to sail on a small boat by himself, to go on his own cheery way…**_

_**Has Zoro put it; "Just shut up and get on this ship."**_

_**That's how the crew gained is fourth member. Luffy and Usopp bonded instantly, and as they have the same immature attitude to cause mischief, I not sure if I'm supposed to be happy for them, or tremble thinking of what they could do. At least they are best friends. I think one reason for that is the fact that Usopp's father is on the crew of Luffy role model; Shanks the Red Hair. And Luffy actually knows the guy. Who would have thought that Luffy is on speaking terms with such iconic? There is more; his straw hat was a belonging of Shanks.**_

_**The good news is that Usopp has a second talent; he knows how to draw, and the Jolly Roger floating on the mast of this ship was made by his hands.**_

"See, told you I was going to win."Said Luffy with a grin, when Robin paused on her lecture.

/

/


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04

Living by our owns goals

* * *

"_I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."_ Og Mandino

* * *

"So in short; we're missing our memories, our navigator, and the captain's hat?" Zoro stretched on the railing, not far from Franky; the latter had found that he didn't know the words ships, boats, and prow. He had just kept it quiet until the end of Usopp story, believing he would eventually remember, forcing his brain… until Luffy blew-up his cover asking if he had red laser beams… and rockets. Franky didn't know what a robot was.

"I don't see how that's related." Murmured Usopp seated on the steps leading to the grassy deck. Brook and Sanji were cleaning the kitchen, while the rest of the crew tried to make some sense, outside.

"I have a theory." Said Robin. "You're a swordsman Zoro-san, but more than your identity you forgot everything about your trade."

"Yeah!" Franky straightened. "We all knew what a sword was, but you thought they were sticks!"

Zoro frowned, putting a hand in one of the three swords now firmly stuck in the red sash on his waist. He wasn't very comfortable with them, but it was better than letting them lying around.

"And Luffy-san is the captain." Continued Robin. "And thanks to the logbook, we know that he was very proud to be a pirate. That was taken from him."

"We forgot our skills!" Shouted Usopp.

"Exactly, if I'm correct Sanji-san may be the cook's ship."

"Because he didn't even knew how to boil water?" Asked Franky, before nodding to Robin. "Well, might as well keep reading." Then he added; "Who's going to call the captain?"

Robin, Usopp, and Zoro looked up to see their captain bouncing all over the ship, practicing is new found rubber power.

"IT'S AWESOME!"

Meanwhile, on the kitchen another amnesic crew mate was questioning his presence on the ship;

They were humans!

Humans everywhere! And he was trapped in this ship with humans! Albeit, he wasn't sure what he was, his instincts were telling him that he was different. What confused him was that these same instincts identified them as part of his herd… well they didn't act in a hostile manner and he seemed than the most dangerous male the named Luffy had him under his protection.

Not to mention, some of these humans seemed do have forgot more thing than he did. Swords and tomatoes weren't really in the list of forgettable items.

Even more confusing, he supposedly was called Chopper and was a pirate. He even had a wanted poster! Could pets be pirates? Trustfully, he didn't really liked the fact of being a pet. It seemed degrading. Well he could wait patiently until the female, Robin, found a mention of him in the book.

"IT'S AWESOME!"

The joyful scream dragged his mind away from his toughs. His eyes found the human with a paper bag on his head and the skeleton finishing the kitchen's cleaning. The male called Brook had a hard time explaining very corner of the kitchen do the one called Sanji; the poor human had a very funny reaction to the dishwashing liquid. "It's making bubbles!" He had said with amazement.

The door opened, allowing the entry to the female and the metal smelling guy, followed by an angry swordsman dragging a pouting captain. Long-nose closed the door chuckling at the inflated blood vessel sported by Zoro.

"We made tea." Said the skeleton bringing the teapot on the table, while the others settled around the table.

"Wonderful idea, Brook-san." Retorted Robin with a smile.

"Sanji-kun boiled the water."

"Ah, marvelous."

"He's progressing, now he knows how to turn on the oven on his own."

"That's very heartening."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Can you two stop talking like if I wasn't here?" Shouted Sanji by placing the cups next to the teapot.

Franky cleared his throat interrupting another round of the mild gibe, and lifted the book from the table where they had let him, and handed it to Robin. There was a wordless agreement, that the only one able to read was Robin due to the fact the author was another female… and the fact that the logbook seemed more and more like a diary than anything else. If needed, Robin could edit some passage that the males couldn't handle.

_**3 June, 220 miles from Loguetown's island, East Blue's sea.**_

_**891 hPa, wind 50 knots, E (80°)**_

_**It is dawn, but we cannot see the sun. The storm is still strong, black heavy clouds hide the sky, and were barely ripped by longs flash of lightning. Still, the ship maneuvers easily enough. **_

"I think, we're not on the Merry Go." Said suddenly Robin, turning the book for all them to see.

There was a draft of a ship. It was hasty drawing, but the traits were steady enough to make a fairly good sketch. It was even better that the one with Zoro, evidently, the navigator wasn't accustomed to draw humans, and was more confident in her area of expertise.

"That not the ship we are in." Confirmed Sanji. "The figurehead of Merry Go is a sheep, and this one has a sunflower."

The crew nodded… and blinked.

"Yes, a… What sunflower?!" Exclaimed Zoro. "It's a lion!"

"It's a flower you… you _Moss Head_!" The crew gasped; Sanji had called the first mate a Moss Head? Wasn't it against some hierarchy rule or something? "Didn't you saw the petals?"

"It's the mane, you… _Paper-brain!_"

"_Bird's shit!_"

"_Crap bag!_"

"_Grassy moron!_"

_That was kind of lame._ Though Usopp closing Franky's mouth, while Luffy and Brook were laughing their ass off. Robin was more preoccupied by her tea than anything else. The crew eventually had to stop the fight when Sanji jumped Zoro dropping the two of them on the floor still screaming profanities at each other.

Once, and only once, all of them had calmed down, Robin resumed her reading.

_**This morning, I had the time to talk with the guys about the events in Loguetown. Apparently, our dumb captain has the devil's luck. **_

_**While most of us were shopping for supplies, Luffy decided to play tourist visiting the town and he found himself on the plaza where the famous Execution Platform who at seen Gold Roger died still stood. Truthfully, this time it wasn't Luffy fault that thing at gone wrong; well not totally.**_

_**While he was admiring the view from the platform, some woman called him from the plaza… it seemed that, she was doing **_**something**_**, because all the men around were acting, was our captain said, weirdly… Luffy's innocence is one of the things that still astound me.**_

_**That woman is named Alvida, which a recall from a wanted poster in being a bulky and very unattractive pirate captain. From what Luffy told me, in the very beginning of his journey he had sent her flying by the means of a punch… and she had come back with slippery power provided by a Demon's Fruit, sexy and among everything else had the apparent desire to marry our captain... Sanji was crying at that part, but I'm not sure if it was in disbelief or envy.**_

Sanji lifted his head. He was finally mentioned; but the sentence was puzzling.

_**Alvida was not alone. She had teamed up with Buggy; maybe Luffy had sent them flying in the same direction? Buggy's men trapped Luffy on the platform for what sounded like his execution. Zoro and Sanji tried to rescue him, but Buggy had been already there ready to cut Luffy's head off!**_

_**That's when Luffy's Devil luck come into play; Will Zoro and Sanji were battling pirates and evading the marines on the plaza, Usopp and I had to head back to the ship. I storm was brewing, and if we wasted ours chance, we would be stuck in Loguetown with pirates and marines on ours hide. But that storm saved Luffy head.**_

_**It is well known that lighting tent to hit the highest point in one area, well, the execution platform was fairly tall. What was surprising however was that a bolt of lightning hit Buggy's sword right when he was going to indulge Luffy from his head.**_

_**Luffy survived without a scratch, Buggy was crispy, and the platform completely destroyed.**_

_**We escaped Loguetown, after running from a commodore named Smoker who also was a Devil's Fruit user, and now, we're still in this storm sailing in direction of Reverse Mountain.**_

_**Thinking about storms; to think that a crazy female pirate associate with Buggy sees Luffy as a prospective husband is a scary thing on his own right. Why? Well because it appears that, that attraction was the result of Luffy's "kick ass effect" on her. Thankfully this particular symptom will be limited to that woman only; otherwise it will be quite awkward. I don't want the Straw Hat's crew changing name to be known as the Heartthrob's crew… – Nojiko will probably die laughing – even if I would get to see the face of Sanji when a bunch of women, bypassing him, would run straight do our dumbfounded captain.**_

_**That would be priceless! **_

_**But then again, managing a hazardous, silly, oblivious, and rubbery harem-monger will probably kill me. Yes, that was downright a scary perspective. It's probably better if I stop writing for now, maybe to drink something like hot chocolate, before I start to imagine Zoro reaction to a female boarding party invading the ship. The poor guy would have a stroke!**_

_**If someone asks about this, I will claim temporary insanity due to lack of sleep.**_

Usopp was one of the men prepared to laugh loud and high at the _scary perspective_ given by Nami. Until Franky suddenly a faint voice wondered;

"Now that I think about it; where this ship is going?"

Cackles and snickers died in more than one throat. Sudden realization hitting them full force. Luffy's imaginary harem was forgotten. And like one man, they rose, before hustling to the door.

The crew finally made some strange discoveries; the sails were folded up, but the boat wasn't anchored, which abandoned them to the current mercy. Thankfully, the weather was calm if not, they would have toppled over. Next to the helm was a lever, but they didn't dare touch it. Also, there were no compasses. Robin found a large variety of maps in the girl's room, most of them having Nami signature, but they didn't have any idea of the one they were supposed to use.

Finally, after some discussion the crew the crew decided to pull the sails down judging that it was better sailing to somewhere, than staying nowhere. Taking advantage of the weather, they moved to the lawn deck to continue the reading.

_**Merry Go is still on course, the wind is getting stronger. We will probably arrive at Reverse Mountain at the beginning of the afternoon. I think that I still have time to introduce our first class pirate cook, the strengthening of the bond between men and of course, my treachery.**_

_**Usopp at just joined the crew when Luffy decided to train with the cannon. Usopp gave it a try, and marvelously hit square on a tall and rocky narrow islet. I wasn't preoccupied with that, until a pirate hunter boarded our ship destroying everything he saw; it appears that Joni and his ill friend Yosaku were taking a rest on the islet when Usopp took aim at it… Zoro knew them and calmed a distraught Joni. After hearing the symptoms of Yosaku, frustration took over and I screamed at the still pained Luffy and Usopp to bring the sick man lemons juice**_.

_**Yosaku had scurvy and I used the excuse to try making them understand the importance of a diversified alimentation at sea. I'm not sure that I succeed in such, but Luffy makes the decision to find a cook.**_

_**Fortunately Joni new of a ship restaurant, the Baratie, where we could hopefully find a chef.**_

_**That when we meet Sanji, the fourth members to join, and our chef's crew…**_

"I'm a chef?" Sanji was mystified. "I can cook? But… but I don't…"

"Robin-san has a theory." Interrupted Usopp before explaining the findings they made when relaxing on the railing. Then he shrugged, dismayed. "The problem is that we don't know what our skills were until the moment we don't remember them… Well, even if we understood that, we still don't have any idea of what happened."

_**Sanji is originally from North Blue but was educated in East Blue aboard the Baratie. Even if he is a cook, he knows how to fight. However, he only uses his legs. One kick is powerful enough to easily destroy furniture, pirates and stand up to Zoro's katana. In perspective, Sanji is another powerful member of our crew. Sanji is a tough man, with a strict conduct code, similar to Zoro's view of an honorable battle. Sanji has a short temper moreover it's not unusual to see him screaming at Luffy stupid behavior, or brawling and trading insults with Zoro.**_

_**Nevertheless, the first time I saw him I though he has a silly blond wannabe womanizer with a curly eyebrow…**_

"What? She saw my face? It's a disaster!"

"You're that ugly?" Asked Usopp. Sanji had hidden is wanted poster somewhere, and aside from Luffy no one knew what he looked like.

"Strange." Said Franky. "If you're not fond of your appearance now, there is no reason that you liked it then, so… How could you be a womanizer?"

"Ah, the question isn't supposed to be; how could the navigator know his face?" Blinked Zoro.

"Maybe, his face was terribly disfigured during our journey." Said Robin smiling.

"Yohohoho! You're scary Robin-chan!"

"I didn't see any scars." Interjected Luffy outstretched on the grass. "It seemed natural."

Sanji let out a low whimper, grasping is only support; a brown and already wrinkly looking paper bag.

"Could we just carry on?" Sighted Usopp crossing his arms.

_**We arrived at the Baratie, following Joni indication, two days later… at the exact same time has a boat of the Marines transporting the lieutenant Fullbody, the Iron Fist. Whereas Luffy was cool as a cucumber informing the Marine that the flag was only hissed two days ago, the lieutenant found Joni and Yosaku and started insulting them. Our two pirate hunters didn't take it well and attacked the officer!**_

_**The struggle ended so fast that it's even worth recording. Joni and Yosaku lost, of course. No wonder Zoro helped them with some bounties, because heck, they needed all the help that they could get. **_

_**It was…**_

Robin frowned interrupting the lecture.

"What?" Grunted Sanji still sore about their jokes.

"Nothing, the words are rushed and a little difficult to understand, that's all."

_**It was then, when I was putting some order in Joni's collection of wanted posters that I saw him. It was like having a bucket of cold water tossed at me. Of course, the only person capable of sinking my good mood could only be Arlong. Without the other knowing, I was already planning to take advantage of the first opportunity and robs them from their ship and all the treasure within.**_

"_SHE WAS WHAT?!_"

Robin jumped, wide eyed, when the crew appeared ready to lunge at her. She tried to placate the men;

"No, think about it; the navigator, this Nami started writing these events at already happened a while ago. And in the beginning she states clearly that the Straw Hats were, and still are, her crew. Something happened and forced her to act like that."

Then their unfazed captain – who they had totally forgotten about – came rolling on the lawn all the while poking his nose;

"Yeah, continue the story."

"You didn't understand one bit did you?" Asked Zoro

"The story is fun; I beat all the bad guys! So Nami couldn't be bad since she's writing it."

At Franky's chuckles Zoro lifted an eyebrow.

"Sorry, Zoro, I think there is some logic in what the captain is saying."

Once everyone calm again, Robin started again.

_**It seemed that the lieutenant had been on a vacation with a date, and in a typical dominant and arrogant male's manner ordered his men to sink our ship. Asshole. Luffy rushed and did his Rubber Balloon trick, turning in a large inflatable captain, stopping the canon ball… who bounced on the restaurant roof.**_

_**Not too long after, Luffy was carried away by angry cooks. We waited, and when an hour was long past and there no signs of ours captain, we entered the restaurant hoping to, as Zoro said, hit the spot. Funny thing; Luffy was our waiter. He even had an apron.**_

_So he goes from captain to waiter?_ Though Zoro with a facepalm. _Talk about demotion!_

Secretly everyone was thinking the same; some had even difficulties maintaining a calm demeanor to the abashed look on Luffy face.

_**From what we heard he was forced to work for one year to pay the damage. While we were kidding our captain slash waiter around, someone caught my attention shouting something about love, evil, and destiny. We learned very quickly that Sanji had a weakness for women.**_ _**That was our first encounter with Sanji… and at the same time, Zeff the owner of the Baratie, mentor of Sanji, and former captain pirate known as Zeff the Red-Leg. But we didn't know that yet. We only saw Zeff has a rough looking cook, with an unbelievable tall chief's hat and peg leg, who send Sanji flying at our table!**_

_**Thanks God, we saved the dishes!**_

Luffy laughed at the navigator retort. At least, she knew that food was important!

_**Sanji excused himself for the trouble by ordering fruit salad and wine for me… and tea for the other.**_

"That's not fair!" Murmured Usopp.

_**Two days later, the imposing frame of a heavily damaged galleon ship loomed over us, breaking our moments of peace. The sails were torn, and something appeared to have wanted to ripe the wooden hull apart. It was a Don Krieg's ship, a particular vicious captain pirate. And my opportunity to sail away. Joni and Yosaku were the only one on Merry Go, and I didn't have any problems with throwing them overboard.**_

_**Meanwhile a famished Don Krieg boarded the Baratie. He was brought to the ship restaurant by a pirate named Gin, who had been saved from starvation by Sanji. Gin apparently had been in the lieutenant Fullbody's custody, but had managed to escape into the Baratie. After being given food by Sanji, he went searching for his captain, convinced that the Baratie was the best place to restore Krieg and his crew forces. Indeed, something terrible happened to them immediately after their arrival in Grand line that ripped the entire Krieg's fleet into pieces; after seven days at sea they're destroyed by one man. **_

The crew eyed the logbook incredulously; one man destroyed a fleet? Impossible!

_**That boat was the only boat that survived the disaster.**_

_**Don Krieg begged for rations, and even has the other cook and clients wanted nothing more than call the Marine; Sanji kicked is way in, giving the captain pirates a plate of food. And once his forces returned to him, the only thank Krieg gave Sanji was an elbow on the shin that send our chief flying across the restaurant.**_

_**And Krieg announced his decision to take over the Baratie, threatening the cooks so that they feed his men starving on the damaged ship. They try to resist of course, but Krieg had a heavy iron armor protecting him from bullets, cannon balls, and brute strength.**_

_**Zeff was the one that interrupted Krieg's verbal diarrhea about who was the strongest, the most powerful – in short, the villain speech – with a large bag of food for the pirate starving outside. It was then that Krieg recognized the chief as the pirate captain Zeff the Red Leg; a man who already sailed the Grand Line, and Krieg already planned to steal Zeff's journals containing essential information about the most dangerous sea in the world. With the journals of the experienced sailor, and the harmless appearance of the restaurant ship, Krieg though that he could sail the Grand Line sheltered from danger.**_

"That's not cool." Remarked Luffy.

Sanji's frown unseen behind the paper bag, drummed his finger on his knee, trying to understand why he would give food do a dishonorable pirate.

_**Surprisingly enough, Baratie's cooks versus Krieg's crew hasn't the first combat ensued that day. That's because when Krieg's boarding party prepared themselves, the galleon ship was cut into pieces. By the Hawk Eyes Man, Dracule Mihawk, the world greatest swordsman. Arriving in what seemed a raft, one of the most hazardous men in the sea, cut the already damaged, but enormous, ship with only a sword. And from his own admission he merely destroyed the ship, and followed the pirate crew all this way from the Grant Line, to kill time.**_

_**Zoro saw his opportunity to prove himself challenging the monster in a duel, even if minute before Luffy ordered him and Usopp to chase after me. Not that I knew at the time. **_

_**Luffy wanted to stay because of his debt to the Baratie owner, and Zoro wanted to stay to test his worth against Mihawk. And I? My God, I was crying all the way back to the only place I could call home. What a difficult sailing it was! In the middle of bittersweet feelings. Torn between the facts that the treasure only brought me closer to the freedom, and the sour knowledge that I had to robe the first friends I acquired in all this year. And I was disgusted by my own weakness; I part of me wanting nothing more to come back and…**_

Robin blinked, and rubbed her neck with a sullen look before continuing. The rest of the crew were too concerned at that point to care for her antics; they wanted the mystery resolved, dammit!

… _**Come back and... No. of course I didn't. Nobody could defeat Arlong. He was too powerful, that was my thought at the time. I had to correct my course more time than a novice; frankly I'm not sure how I make it back to Cocoyasi without knocking Merry over a reef or something.**_

"Cocoyasi? I have already heard that name before." Said Sanji.

"When Nami-san introduced herself, she depicted Cocoyasi Village has her hometown." Robin answered, noting that the crew was confused. Thus far, Nami was very up-front with her narrative, but his time she was beating around the bush. The navigator appeared disturbed enough about, whatever the situation was, to even write about it.

"It feels has if she was afraid of going home." Whispered Franky.

_**Therefore – very far from my blurry vision – Zoro stood challenging the actual world greatest swordsman.**_

_**Zoro had his three katanas draw and Mihawk countered every attack with a small pocket knife. Luffy was livid from what a heard, but it was Zoro's battle for a dream that he had since he was a child. And Luffy couldn't intervene. He trusted Zoro to find whatever he was searching for in this one-sided struggle.**__**Mihawk ended accepting Zoro skills, drawing his large black sword out of respect. That attack cost Zoro two katanas. For Zoro, the combat was finished, but holstering his last sword he turned his front so that he could receive Mihawk last attack with honor.**_

_**Miraculously, Zoro survived. The wound gained then run from his shoulder to his hip. I see it like a testimony of his strength. However for Zoro it's a remembrance of the moment that followed, when Joni and Yosaku fished him out the sea, when Luffy wanted to punch Mihawk, when Usopp's shaking hands gripped his shirt to hoist him on the ship, and when Zoro lifted Wado Ichimonji's blade to the sky promising Luffy to never lose again.**_

Robin detached her eyes from the page to glance over the first mate, sitting on the bench, arms crossed and looking at the sky with frowned eyebrows. Her eyes lowered to his open coat catching a glimpse of the long scar. Like the navigator say, a testimony of his actions.

_**Mihawk went amused for the rest of the day leaving the Baratie's crew and Luffy to their original problems.**_

_**Sanji engaged combat with a man named Pearl, who somehow caught himself on fire after Luffy head-butted him. Sanji handled him well, until Gin toke Zeff hostage breaking the chief peg leg. In the end Gin attacked Pearl wanting to fight against Sanji by himself.**__**Sanji already wounded from his last fight didn't last long, but as his opponent got ready to deliver the last blow… Gin withdraws. Don Krieg wasn't impressed with what he considered treason and launched a gas bomb at them, after ordering Gin to throw away the mask gas that every man in the Krieg's crew possesses.**_

_**And finally Luffy started his combat with Don Krieg.**_

_**Luffy's body is resistant to bullets and cannon balls, but Don Krieg had a special shield who hurled iron stakes, easily piercing Luffy's rubbery skin. However, sharp weaponry didn't stop our captain, even when Krieg covered himself with a thorny mantle to avoid Luffy's punch. The rubber right hook got Krieg's jaw thought the spikes throwing him to the ground.**_

_**Krieg was then forced to use an exploding spear…? Sanji wasn't very sure, but the spear had the particularity to explode where it impacted. That spear too didn't last long against Luffy's punches. Consequently, Luffy's last attack sends Krieg skull do a forceful encounter with the Baratie ground. Luffy himself fell on the ocean… which was very unlucky considering all the piece of the last Krieg ship floating around.**_

_**Ah, yes, Devil's Fruit users are incapable to swim. They were cursed to be anvils until the end of their lives. Thankfully, Sanji saved him.**_

"So is not that you forgot how to swim, you cannot swim." Said Franky nodding to him. "I had wondered if swimming was one of your skills that you couldn't remember."

_**Gin still affected by the gas picked is captain up, ordering the retreat.**_

_**I'm not sure how Sanji become our cook, neither he nor Luffy were forthcoming when I asked; that's to say, Sanji claimed that he only accepted because of me, and Luffy responded with a "Of course he accepted! I'm going to be the next Pirate King!"**_

_**From what a gathered, it was around Mihawk arrival that Luffy and the other discovered my treason. But only after the duel between Mihawk and Zoro, that they – Luffy aside – finally give me chase. Zoro was the most pissed. Usopp was incensed that I dared to steal Merry Go. They both told me so. But now that I think about it, none of them told me about Luffy reaction, I think that when he found me Zoro said something about "captain's orders", but I'm yet to hear something like that coming from Luffy's mouth. Probably, the idiot just put his pinky finger up his nose and said; "So? Go catch her."**_

"Shishishishi!"

Luffy laughed while the other tough; yes, you would probably say something like that.

\

\


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05

The awe inspiring kick ass effect

"_Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." Mahatma Gandhi._

* * *

Searching the pantry, Brook and Zorro found oil lanterns that they could use outside. Usopp and Luffy were trying to make lemonade, while Chopper was strolling around. Franky was occupying himself bringing a garden table that he found on the upper deck on the lawn. Robin was in the kitchen trying to teach Sanji how to make sandwiches; the poor man was still confounding spoons and saucers. One of the problems that they encountered was that most of the food on the pantry wasn't processed. This means that the cook probably did everything from scratch. An impressive finding, if not for the fact that the only things they could use was what they had in the fridge; eggs, cheese, vegetables, and meat. And the cooking books on the kitchen were only about high class catering, and complex looking dishes with many strange words and Zoro just happened to be lucky to find an easy receipt for the omelets. No really, what _sauté_ could mean?

They had to find some way to furnish the pantry with processed food, or wait for Sanji's memories to return. The former was a bit difficult to picture on the middle of the sea, and the latter seemed very improbable. Even if Zoro was eager to try Usopp suggestion, that is to say; conk Sanji's head hopping that somehow he would gain his memories back.

The sun was dimming when the crew assembled outside again. But only after eating, the sun turning red the sky, that Robin opened the blue logbook again.

_**From what they told me, when Usopp and the other understood where I was heading they send Yosaku back – swimming! – to the Baratie to inform Luffy. So they knew that I was going to Arlong Park, the lair of Arlong the Saw and the pirate captain of a powerful fishmen crew. **_

"Fishmen?" Asked Luffy. "Fishes can be pirates too?"

"I doubt that this Arlong is the kind of fish you're thinking about." Said Franky. "They're more human like."

_**From what Nojiko told me, the only guys in this ship that heard how I earned my place in the Arlong's crew are Usopp, Sanji and Zoro. I'm not sure do know why Luffy didn't want to know went Nojiko proposed to tell. Coming from him it could be anything from it being "a boring story" to wanting to be "respectful" in some strange way.**_

_**Maybe the story will have more sense if I told him myself? I don't know. He didn't ask until now, and I doubt that he will ask later.**_

_**My mother's name was Bellmere from the Cocoyasi Village. When she was younger, she decided to join the Marine, becoming officer soon afterward. She wanted to fight against pirates. But one day after a particularly bloody battle, wounded and exhausted she lay down waiting dead in the middle of the wreckage.**_

_**A little girl holding a baby appeared in front of her, orphans who had their parents killed in the pirate assault. The little girl was Nojiko, I was the baby. We weren't related by blood, she found me crying, and from then on, we were sisters. Bellmere toke us to Cocoyasi has our mother. We lived together, like a family, in a small house in the middle of a tangerine grove. And for a time we were happy.**_

_**I may have been an ungrateful child at times. We weren't rich, and I always had hand-me-down clothes from Nojiko, that upset me. Sometimes, I stole books from the bookstore in the village and most of the time I was caught by Genzo the mayor of Cocoyasi, and our only father figure. The majority of the books were about navigation.**_

_**Even at that time I dreamed to make a map of the all world. Nojiko and I weren't afraid of fighting with the boys. We always won.**_

_**And then, eight years ago, Arlong invaded our island with is fishmen crew. They were stronger than humans. The villager didn't have a chance. Arlong gave the villager the choice to pay a fee, or died. When he arrived at our house, Bellmere try to fight but he was so much stronger! ... Paying the fee for Nojiko and me, she didn't have enough for her. It was Bellmere last accomplishment has our mother. And Arlong killed her in front of us.**_

_**My misfortune didn't stop there. An octopus man found the maps that a made over the years. Arlong was impressed by the work and took me. The villagers that tried to fight back. They didn't succeed. **_

_**I was frightened, Arlong wanted my maps and money, and I just wanted my hometown back. So I made a deal with him; I joined his crew to furnish maps, will I amassed money that I would have stolen from other pirate, bandits, and corrupted men to buy Cocoyasi Village. The fact that no villager talked to me willingly after Arlong branded me with his mark was hard. I only had Nojiko, and she couldn't do much to help me. **__**And from that point, I was always alone.**_

Sniffing was heard, and Robin pulled from the book.

"Are you… crying?"

"I'm not crying!" Shouted Franky trying to cancel his tear with his big arm.

Sanji was sobbing quietly dark wet spots appearing on the bag. Zoro had his eyes closed, his expression unreadable. Luffy seemed too much interested by the sky above him. Chopper and Usopp were downright crying – did the animal understand what she was reading? Brook was looking at his knee blankly.

_**When I arrived at Cocoyasi with the Merry Go my first stop was Arlong Park, the Head Quarter of the fishmen on Konomi Islands. Two days after that I heard Arlong cackling about his theory of the fishmen superiority on the side of the building facing the sea. **_

_**And for my immense horror I found Zoro tied – heavily bandaged – right next to the swimming pool. **_

_**Zoro said that he never trusted me. That from the beginning I was suspicious. And that's when the bastard had the gall to use Luffy's "It's your call look" before jumping straight iton the damn pool! Still tied up!**_

_**It's crazy; I only knew him and the others for what? Twenty days? So putting the cover that I had for years in jeopardy I jumped too to save him. Did I already esteemed the green haired moron has a nakama? Probably.**_

_**Of course, after fishing him up, I beat him down firstly to make a good show. Secondly because the moron deserved it for pulling a stunt like that! I saved Zoro from his cell afterward and try to talk him into telling the other to get the hell out of the island. The key word here is **_**TRY**_**. When I came back later that day, Zoro was thankfully no longer there, but he had beaten up all the fishmen guards.**_

_**And I had a headache.**_

_**And Usopp had been caught. **_

_**And Arlong was pissed.**_

_**My options were rather short, mainly because some henchmen started to distrust me, and Arlong wanted to kill Usopp.**_

_**When I took the knife, walking on Usopp's direction event has he tried to escape, my mind was blank…**_

"She's going to kill me!"

"Obviously not." Snapped Sanji. "You are still alive, no?"

_**My palms were damp. I had an idea of what to do, it was only just that… an idea. And the next thing I knew Usopp was looking at me surprised. My body had moved on its own. Hidden by the blood and ourselves, instead of Usopp stomach the knife plunged my left hand. No one was the wiser, when I kicked his apparently cooling corpse on the pool, letting him sink in the turbid salty water.**_

_**On my way home I discovered that Luffy was on the island; the fact that Joni saw me "kill" Usopp only made it easier for me to convince them in taking back Merry Go and leave. And what my O wise captain did? Well… Luffy announced that he wanted to take a nap in the middle of the freaking road!**_

Zoro massaged his forehead trying to ease the wrinkles caused by the constant frowning. Frank managed a chuckle easily imagining Luffy drop and snore at will.

_**When I finally got home, I was so frustrated I launched myself on the furniture. It felt like I was breaking down, and I instead broke half of the stuff in the house before falling asleep. When I awoke, my personal hell of a live only got worse.**_

_**A Marine unit had arrived, and at first I thought that they were after me has a member of Arlong's crew. But it wasn't because of my status has a pirate. It was because of my treasure, the treasure I had stashed away for eight years to buy Cocoyasi from Arlong. Genzo who had accompanied the Marines to my house and Nojiko were livid; he knew that I tried to save the village all these years, they pretend do not know of the deal to help me. The Marine Officer was corrupt; it was Arlong that told him about the treasure. In the end Nojiko was shot, and the Marines found the treasure in the tangerine grove.**_

_**The villagers couldn't take it anymore; They snapped. They had enough of the daily violence, and the death threat constantly above them.**_

_**They armed themselves ready to attack Arlong Park.**_

_**I couldn't stop them. They were going to be killed by Arlong and I couldn't stop them. All these peoples for whom I fought endlessly. I saw the end of my world… I couldn't take it anymore. I lifted my knife and stabbed the Arlong's tattoo. I think I would have continued the butchering of my arm if Luffy hadn't stopped me. Frankly, I don't remember exactly what I say to him. I suppose I ordered him to get out of the island. Again. And again, he just stood there hearing my sobbing until I looked at him pleading him to help me. Because I that moment, he was the only thing that could save my world from crumbling down entirely.**_

_**Luffy's response kind of choked me back there.**_

_**He put his straw hat on my head. He entrusts me his treasure. Before I had the times to understand all the implications, he already was walking on Arlong Park along with the rest of the crew.**_

_**My legs were shaking, and I wasted some time in composing myself. It's a shame I lost Luffy big entrance. From what I hear, he was totally pissed and calm at the same time… I have difficulties in imagining it. Truth be told, on a fight, Luffy could become imperturbable at the point that sometimes we had difficulties with associate him with his normal goofy self. But a calm and pissed Luffy? At the same time? **_

_**The fact is that Luffy entered the Arlong Park, asking to talk with Arlong, before localizing him and sending him flying in the background with a single punch.**_

"I WON!" Shouted Luffy.

"It's not over captain." Said Robin with a smile.

_**When approaching Arlong Park, still not very sure what was waiting for me, I saw a giant cow on crossing the sky.**_

"Did you read that right, Robin-san?" Asked Franky.

_**It was Mohmoo, the sea cow that Arlong brought with him from the Grand Line. One of the guys had sent it flying; I could only guess that the responsible his Luffy or Sanji. Zoro would have cut it and Usopp isn't strong enough. Strangely Sanji wasn't forthcoming with the details of the fight.**_

_**When I arrived, Zoro and Sanji were very beaten up. The only fishmen remaining standing was Arlong; Usopp was fighting another guy somewhere, and Luffy was somehow stuck on a rock underwater…? Like I say, they didn't tell me the details. Maybe it was some honor code among men. Or maybe they didn't want to tell me how they received wounds in a fight for my sake. They are wrong if they belief that I will regret or mourn their broken bones or scars; crying over that will discredit their efforts. I will always be grateful because they deserve no less for their pain. **_

_**Zoro begins his fight with Arlong trying to give Sanji time to go set free Luffy. The heavily injured Zoro did last long; Arlong ripped his bandage revealing the long wound made by Mihawk… Luffy appeared soon after that switch literally with the poor Zoro who was sent flying. **_

_**On second thought, if they acted this recklessly in the beginning of the fight I'm better off without the details.**_

_**I'm not saying that I understand how Luffy fight, but when he does fight he think outside the box. Arlong is a shark, and one of the shark's particularities is to sprout endlessly teeth. I doubt that Arlong's past opponents though about robbing him from his sharps dentition, to use it against him like Luffy did. When Arlong used the pool to propel himself like a torpedo, Luffy used his stretching figure to make a net.**_

_**They entered the Park's main building, Arlong chasing after Luffy with his long dented sword; Kiribachi. We could see from outside their progression as walls and windows exploded. And then I saw as they entered the Navigation Room where all the maps were stored; all the maps that I did for Arlong. It was the room where I was maintained. For a moment there was silence, has if Luffy and Arlong had ceased their battle.**_

_**The windows broke, and with the glass came a desk. The desk where I had to write down maps for hours and hours. More furniture came falling down, along with a rain of maps, most of them falling in the pool. I could only stare, tears rolling down my cheeks. Luffy was destroying eight years of hideous work. Eight years in which my passion for navigation was diverted and perverted for the monster that killed my mother and took my village hostage of a cruel bargain.**_

_**And finally with one kick, Luffy destroyed the building along with Arlong.**_

_**I will never forget the moment when Luffy came out of the wreckage shouting, claiming undeniably that I was his navigator.**_

_**That's my second reason to follow Monkey D. Luffy, and the reason a firmly believed that he is to be the next Pirate King.**_

_**I asked the village doctor to change my tattoo, a mix of Bellmere tangerine and Genzo windmill. We made a celebration. We were ready to continue to the Grand Line. And I think that my grant departure marked Cocoyashi's inhabitants. **_

_**It was… priceless.**_

"YEAH! I WON!"

"This time, you have done it, captain." Confirmed Robin amused.

_**Outside the storm is still strong, but it isn't the wind that disrupts the ship. Looking at the map – the one I had stolen from Buggy – yesterday, I was suspicious at first, but there is no doubt now that the Grand Line entrance is a mountain.**_

_**There is a canal with the current going up pushed by East Blue's wave. That phenomenon has to be reproduced by the other canals of the others seas to create a stream whose existence will permit us to access Grand Line.**_

_**I saw the canal! The current he's really going up!**_

"There are some navigation notes, with the indication that a rudder broke." Said Robin before turning the page before letting a smile reach her face.

_**I'm going to kill Luffy. He is the most ridiculous and outrageous captain in piracy's history!**_

"Huh?" Luffy poked his nose in confusion.

"Don't huh; I only know you for some hours and I already know that you're certainly doing something that a sane person won't do." Said Usopp.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing." Alleged Franky.

"No…" Started Usopp playing with a rubber band. "It's not. But that doesn't prevent it to be something unreasonable."

"Like jumping on a barrel to escape a Whirlpool?" Asked a smirking Sanji – even if they couldn't see the smirk, the tone was cocky enough for them to feel it.

"Or going at sea without provisions." Added Brook.

"Or any navigating skills." Butted in Franky.

"But I kick asses!" Retorted Luffy pouting.

Robin rolled her eyes while the men bickered.

_**We reached the top without much trouble, but going down Sanji saw a mountain blocking our path. It wasn't a mountain. It was a giant massive whale standing head to the sky and without the rudder we were going to collide!**_

_**Of course, Luffy thought that shooting the prow cannon to the whale's belly was a good idea. I admit that thanks to the recoil, the ship slowed enough to allow minimal damage. The minimal damage being Merry Go's prow head, which was also the official seat for our captain.**_

_**Luffy – instead of thanking all the gods of the universes that allowed a giant whale capable of reduce our ship to toothpick materiel to ignore the cannon ball – punched the beast right in the eye. Naturally, the whale got angry and proceeded in swallowing the ship and the crew. Luffy escaped because of his rubber power, but the rest of us ended in the whale's digestive system.**_

Someone snorted, and Luffy frowned. The Straw Hat captain – without the straw hat – personally though that the whale was in the wrong.

_**And inside, we meet a flower-man living on a small island.**_

"_A WHAT?_"

_**There were a sky and cloud. And we even had an encounter with a giant squid, while Sanji and Zoro calmly theorized about the peculiarity of a whale's stomach.**_

_**The flower-man introduced himself as Claucus caretaker of the Futako Mizaki City's Lighthouse, and giving other unnecessary details. When tremors agitated the gastric juice, he helpfully pointed us out an exit – a large iron gate! – informing us that the tremors were due to the fact that the whale was head butting the Red Line.**_

_**Here enters Luffy falling from the false sky, accompanied in his fall by two strange looking persons. Apparently they had come from the neighboring island thinking that the whale meat – whose name is Laboon – while feed their village for two or three days.**_

_**Once outside, we launched at sea the two wannabe whale hunter; Mr. Nine and Mrs. Wednesday. Odd names.**_

_**Claucus is a doctor, and he is taking care of the whale even since a pirate crew lets Laboon at the Grand Line's entrance judging the sea too dangerous for a baby whale. They promised to come back in two or three years. **_

_**And that was fifty years ago. **_

_**At first, I thought that they were probably all dead. The Grand Line is dangerous and unforgiving. However, Claucus alleged that they left the Grand Line and never bothered to come back.**_

_**And that's when our idiot of a captain decided to break Merry Go's mast and impale Laboon with it! What was he screaming again? Rubber Arranging Flower my ass! What kind of sane man would start a fight with a whale weighting over the two thousand tons?! ... Oh wait. Didn't I already conclude that Luffy didn't think like a sane and average human male?**_

_**Somehow, Luffy made the promise to the whale to come back under the pretense to have a rematch. Before drawing an abstract form of our Jolly Roger on Laboon forehead telling him that the image while fade away if he resume the head butting of the Red Line.**_

_**I need to sleep this off… Hopefully, Usopp could do something about the mast. We anchored the ship next to Claucus's Lighthouse. Hopefully tomorrow will be a less extravagant day.**_

Robin turned the logbook, showing a drawing of a man next to a lighthouse, and the head of a whale in the background. This time the drawing had Usopp's signature and a note about "the debt being void".

**\\**

Franky tilted his head. Imitated by Usopp and Luffy seated in front of him. They decided that it was better to continue the logbook after a good night of sleep to let all the surprising information to settle down. Which didn't really prevent them from some personal enquiry, right? Even without the logbook, there was room for new discoveries. Like discovering a fizzy drink in Franky's torso that seemed responsible for his hair's stability. He also had a small hand in his big hand, which Luffy found cool. Although they were still searching for the laser beams switch.

If… Franky _had_ a laser beam switch.

While most were entertained Zorro made a silent retreat to the upper deck, bringing his swords to try to imitate the pose draw on the logbook. Maybe it was because the three katanas where still holstered, but he didn't feel natural. And there also the fact that the sketch hasn't accurate.

One hour later they folded the sails, pulling down the anchor, Robin and the men separated themselves for the night. No one paid attention at the small Chopper climbing the crow's nest, to distrusting to sleep with the human. So, just as Zoro closed the door of the men's quarter and Chopper closed his eyes below a blanket, none of them saw the faint blinking lights gaining life on the horizon.

**\**

**\**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06

The Straw Hat Princess…?

"_It is not strange that a brave man fears the wicked. It is not their strength nor their courage, but their treachery that makes them dangerous."_ The camel and the shrub, Persian fables by Sa'di

* * *

Nami gave out a shaky breath, her head hitting the granite behind her, when she almost slipped off the cornice. She closed her eyes, hands flat on the leveled wall, regaining her breathing and trying to not think about the rocky ground three hundred feet below her. The evening breeze stirred the few hairs that escaped her ponytail and Luffy's hat, but wasn't strong enough to blow her away. She had discarded her shoes for once, and her feet were starting to go numb from the constant contact with the cold surface.

Then she opened her eyes, not even looking at the multicolored beam sweeping the sky, before continuing on her narrow escape route. It was a bad plan. A very bad and straightforward plan. The primordial goal being; getting the hell out of there. Normally Nami would have played the game of the damsel in distress until a viable opportunity arises, but the situation was too peculiar to enjoy the indoor warmed pool, the cashmere dress, the high class buffet, the masseur, the enormous and fluffy king size bed, or the breathtaking view of the island colored in sunset red. Nami doubted that she would ever be kidnapped again to what looked like a VIP resort with servants at her beck and call, but she had to go save her crew!

Even if they probably didn't know who she was or that they needed to be saved.

She dreaded to think of a completely confused and frightened Chopper – would he even remember that he could talk? – or a Zoro without memories _and_ lacking orientation sense. Luffy had probably the word _food_ engraved in his brain so he would at least eat regularly, and if Nami was lucky (heard the sarcasm here?) he wouldn't go around the world raiding fridges and pantries. She knew that Usopp was going to keep himself scarce… all least, until some situation invoked his justice sense and shaking legs. Robin was intelligent; she would probably try to connect the dots or something. Sanji… well, he probably had the word _women _engraved in his brain which worried her; if a Luffy raiding fridges was bad, Sanji stalking women was _worse_. Franky will be fine on his own. Probably. Brook will almost certainly freak out about being a skeleton; the worse that could happen would be if he was captured by a circus to be part of a freak show or…

Nami grimaced having almost forgotten that all of them had bounties on their head!

First; what did she know? Her crew had reached an island the day before – at least, she thought that it was the day before. A small islet, with only a couple of houses and a narrow wooden deck. The resident freaked out at first, but a bouncing grinning Luffy rapidly got rid of the fear. That, and Nami specify that they would pay for their supplies.

They learned that the islet was part of an archipelago, and other islands were scattered around. Unfortunately the log-pose was useless to go from an islet to another because the archipelago was considered by the magnetic field has one island. What was the name of it? Ah… _Damn the Mark Archipelago_. To travel between the islets they needed to wait for nightfall; there were lighthouses with different light colors for each destination.

So the crew waited for night fall, and when they were following a green ray – chosen by the captain of course – a man boarded the ship. A thin, almost bald, old and ugly man. He touched Zoro and Luffy who just fell down without any fight, while the man talked about robbing their memories.

That's when someone, an accomplice, knocked Nami out. Strangely enough, when she awoke a while ago Nami had all of her memories. And Luffy's precious straw hat. She wasn't expecting that – the memories and the hat. She didn't dare to doubt about the kidnapper ability, she seen the strangest things on the Grand Line.

But what did he want to achieve in kidnapping her with her memories intact? It could mean that whoever kidnapped her wanted her navigational skills. It happened before with Golden Lion Shiki, and Arlong did well in blackmailing her into making maps. Unless the guy was a pervert of some sort and wanted to marry her – that too happened before; but again… whipping her brain would be the most practical thing to do if that was the case.

Reaching a small open window, Nami slipped into a tiny room poorly lit by the moonlight. She could see shapes of brooms and heavily loaded racks. The smell of bleach was rather pungent too. Making her way to the door, she hoped that no one had the crazy idea to lock the broom closet.

Thankfully, the door wasn't locked, and behind it, Nami found a large and luxurious looking corridor, with red carpet, dignified marble busts, and crystal chandelier. Oh, and two guards at the corridor's end.

Nami closed the door again, massaging her temples, while looking around the room for something to use. A broom? Well, she could take down two armed average men; she wasn't that useless in combat. Although she hoped to be more discrete in her escape, and she wasn't sure she could knock them down before they fight alerted the all place. A mob? Same problem. Damn! If she at least had her Climat-Tack! She would have created a Milky Road to escape and…!

Well… she didn't have it, no use in lamenting what she couldn't have. Using her hands more than her eyes, she tried to feel the objects that were there, using sometimes the faint glow of the moon.

Bleach? For what? Bleaching the cashmere red carpet? Window detergent? That wasn't going to help. Oh, a candle! Now, she only needed a lighter or match. A feather duster? It could work… if she wanted to tickle the guards to death. Trolley? A pipe wrench? A… Nami winced and let go of… huh?… she didn't have any idea of what that thing was. Next? A plunger? A rope? A ruler? A lug wrench? WAIT! Wait, wait! A rope! No… the rope was too damn short to do anything useful. Well, at least she could tie the guards, if she managed to put them out cold.

But nothing of that helped her escaping!

\\

Telma was running, her bun menacing to be undone. Raising her long dark skirt, to avoid stepping on the hem, while damning her bad luck and her older sister to have gotten her a job this troublesome.

True, being a maid in the royal castle was an incredible opportunity; even if the head maid was a bitter old woman. But since she started the week before, she only did horrible novice's jobs! The head maid even had her clean the stable, the barn, the men's toilet! And then the day before, the arrival of the vanished princess was announced and everybody seemed to have lost their heads!

And now Telma had to clean the carpet in the Royal Quarters in two days; did that sadist head maid knew of many carpets there was?!

"I'm going to kill you, big sister!" She promised. Then again, her situation may be the consequence of her…light teasing about a possible crush on the handsome Lord Matin. Telma grinned while thinking about her red-faced sister yelling that _not even in a billion years_ she was going to think about that _irritating clown_ in romantic manners!

Opening the broom closet, Telma flipped the light on… Her thoughts about embarrassing her sister further stopped, to let her assess the situation. She wasn't very successful. It wasn't surprising, when one was faced with a woman armed of a pipe wrench

"Wha…?"

"Hello!" Said the smiling woman, long ginger hairs adorned by a straw hat. Well, she was smiling and didn't really appear to be menacing. She couldn't be a bad person, right? "Can you tell me your name please?"

The poor maid looked at the woman owlishly, her eyes trailing to the pipe wrench in the woman's hands, second guessing her own conclusion. Who has she? Why was she barefooted?

"Telma…"

"Nice name." The woman tilted her head still smiling. "So Telma, I need you to strip."

"Huh?"

\\

It was so perfect.

The guard saw one maid entering, and one maid exiting the room. No one was the wiser, and with luck they only would find the poor and nearly unclad maid in the morning. Nami was sure that her disguise could bring her at least to the ground floor, but somehow that didn't happen. She wasn't even certain how, but the first guard that saw her started shouting some nonsense, wide-eyed as if Nami had done some kind of unimaginable magic trick.

That's how she found herself running with a regiment of heavily armed soldiers that had the gall to shout her to _not _run! Blast! And she only managed to be unseen for two minutes! What kind of cat burglar was she? Was she losing her touch?

"SHE'S HERE!"

"Great…" Growled Nami dashing through an adjoining corridor to avoid another patrol, before opening the first door on her right, and ducking behind a couch, hearing the heavy footsteps of the guard on the other side of the door. One of them opened the door, forcing Nami to lie down, but he didn't linger. Well, she knew that her crew has well known, but that she was recognized so quickly was a bit strange. Maybe, her kidnapper had her wanted poster going all over the place.

Cautious, she looked over the room from behind the couch. It seemed that she entered some sort of luxurious living room. The large windows showed her a courtyard, four stories below, too high for her to jump, and without any visible cornice. To get out, she would have do use the door again.

"Found you!" Said a creepy voice behind her.

Nami yelled and kicked, before biting hard into the arms that had found a way around her. The assailant shrieked from pain, giving her plenty of freedom to reach a luxurious looking bowl and smash it on his head. Nami runs to the door, but at another pair of arms caught her, grabbing her by the wrist, and holding her tightly enough to sabotage any attempt of escape.

"Now, now, be a good girl and no one is going to hurt you!"

"You!" Spat Nami.

It was the thin, almost bald, old and ugly man. Now, with the light on, she could also see greasy greying hair, and a face covered in wrinkles. The ones with which you could tell that the man didn't smile enough through his life. He pushed her on the couch next to the other man; a hunchbacked smelling man, with black eyes who glared to Nami while holding his injured head.

"My name is Gothel Von Guttenach. Before you start complaining about your kidnapping, you may want to hear my offer." Said the man, dusting his coat in what he thought to be an elegant manner. "You see, I…"

"No." Replied Nami crossing her arms.

Gothel wasn't deterred by the curt reply. He smiled, hands on his back, and puffing his torso like a merchant in front of a good offer.

"I'm also the Royal Counselor of Damn the Mark Archipelago." He said somehow trying to impress her. "I'm very influential. The king is an old man, who let me run the island like I wish. I mean… I'm the _ruler_ of this wasted piece of land in everything but in name. It's a bit frustrating, actually." Gothel frowned. "But I can change that, you see… you're going to help me."

Naomi frowned trying to understand the plan of her kidnapper. If he only wanted to kill the king, he won't need her.

"See, the shortest way to become King, is to marry the princess."

"And you want me to put a good word for you?" Asked an unconvinced Nami.

"No. The princess diapered when she was four years old, after her ship was wrecked in a storm. She's dead, but her father, the king doesn't believe it and offered her hand to the one would bring her back. And guest, what, last night, I was fortunate enough to find the lost princess."

"I thought you said she was dead?"

"Odan, if you will, please?"

"Right away sir Gothel." Said the hunchback, marching to a long tapestry next to a wall, and pushing a fluffy cord hanging from the ceiling.

Nami heard a click, and the tapestry opened in two. Within she saw the portrait behind it. Nami's eyes grew while her mind recorded the details on the canvas. She knew what exactly the plan was about.

There was a woman and a little girl no more than four years old, side-by-side, dressed in elegant clothes. They looked very much alike… ginger hair, and soft brown eyes.

"Let me think… If the princess was alive she will have my age." Said Nami fighting a headache. Then she added, not without sarcasm. "Oh, great… you want me to become the princess." Gothel laughed, nonplussed with her glared landed on him. "Why didn't you erase my memories? Won't it be easier? I can be very uncooperative."

"The king knows about my power, if I had found an amnesiac girl Our Majesty would grow suspicious. And your uncooperative behavior could help my cause… I always liked feisty ones."  
That was the last straw which breaks the camel's back. She escaped a creepy zombie on the altar; she wasn't going to go there with an old backstabber.

Nami's attack was quick. Accurate. She didn't have her weapon, but for an old coat, she only needed a kick where it hurt. And she would have been successful. If not for the intervention of Odan, who intercept stiffly her move, grabbing her wrist and waist, immobilizing her millimeter away from her target.

Gothel's laugh got louder. And more irritating. Most of the villains Nami knew had creepy laughs, this one seemed more like the hissing of a broken pressure cooker. But then again, it may be because of the age of this one.

"Didn't you think that a man like me wouldn't have someone expert in combat as a bodyguard? Odan is a master in submission techniques." Said Gothel forcing Naomi to look at him by holding her chin. "You are mine, princess."

The door opened with force, an old man, with a long white beard appeared in regal red robes. And escorted by guards.

"Sir Gothel, unhand my daughter." Nami blinked at the new arrival, before looking around the room, frowning at her smirking kidnapper. Unfortunately, Nami didn't have time to make any sense, that the older man gripped her arm, pulling her gently out of Gothel reach. "Oh, sweet daughter of mine!"

"Are you mad? I'm not your daughter!"

"Do you see your Majesty?" Said Gothel looking like contrite. Nami frowned; _what a fake!_ "She has grown up like a pirate, we will need time to show her the love that you have for her."

Nami felt her jaw hit the ground. So that was Gothel story? Did the king really believe that? That's crazy!

A sniffling sound startled her. Looking warily at the king, Nami winced, a bit baffled; Oh great, really, is he crying?

"Dear daughter of mine! My sweet, sweet little girl! Don't be mean to papa!"

"Don't you see that old pervert invented all this?" She yelled, pointing a finger at Gothel who was playing the saint.

"Oh, sweetie, I know that Gothel may appear rude, but he is an honorable man who loves his country."

"Deeply, Majesty." Added Gothel a hand on his heart.

And Nami found herself escorted to her room again, with new bars on her windows, and the sad looking king cautiously trying to make her understand that it was for her own good. For a time, Nami keep a glare on the heavy door, her eyes twitching.

"Oh, for the love of…! _Argh!_" She rolled her eyes, mumbling to herself, and trying to keep her frustration checked. Breaking things wasn't going to help her… well maybe. If she didn't have any other ideas. "… Back to square one."

**\\**

Usopp flexed his biceps pleased to see his reflections showing decent sized muscles. He was equally pleased to find out the ease with which he had shaved. Well, he kind of _knew_ that he had shaved before, but was just incapable to remember _when_. Strange feeling, huh?

At least, he was being more successful than Zoro who had tried to put the muscle's memory theory in practice only to suffer innumerous cuts everywhere. Apparently somehow, losing his skills in swordsmanship made him unable to use even the most ordinary blade. And Usopp was a bit preoccupied to see the frustrated man awkwardly uses the cut throat straight razor. Not to mention that Zoro only had an eye; that had to mess up is coordination somehow, right?

Franky and Brook who didn't need as much grooming had decided to start breakfast, and Sanji who refused to shave deciding to let his facial hair grow – from what he told them; to hide his ugly face –, followed them in the hope to understand something about pancakes. They had already unfolded the sails and brought the anchor up. Luffy who appeared less susceptible to grow beard – maybe because he was made of rubber – was out trying to find Chopper.

"Good morning, Usopp-san, going to breakfast?"

Usopp closing the door behind him turned to see Robin already on the lawn deck.

"Good morning. Yeah, Franky and Brook were talking about making pancakes." Usopp was a bit uncomfortable with the woman, maybe because she seemed older than him, or the fact that she seemed to be the most mature in the crew.

"I saw Luffy-san chasse Deer-san around." Usopp lifted an eyebrow. Well, Chopper had antler, calling him a deer make more sense than calling him a raccoon. "Where are Sanji-san and Zoro-san?"

"Sanji is on the kitchen too, and Zoro… huh… he was getting dressed." Responded Usopp trying to preserve Zoro bruised manhood. A woman couldn't understand the importance of grooming man's facial hair. Then again, Usopp couldn't do much when the swordsman would go out with cut all over his face.

"I found some…"

Usopp couldn't tell what Robin found since the ship jerked violently forward projecting them into the grassy floor. A horrifying yell came from the bathroom. Luffy who had wanted to jump behind Usopp to give him a scare tripped on the railing falling head first on the ground. And Chopper who had been hiding in a barrel on the upper deck fell down the latter, the barrel hitting the mast breaking into pieces.

Usopp lifted his head, and blinked when he saw his captain struggling to pop his head out of the floor, and a dizzy Chopper trying to stand up.

"Hey! Did the ship hit something?" Asked Franky appearing behind the first floor deck railing while running to the prow to see what happened.

Usopp didn't have time to respond. A fuming Zoro opened the door, a cut throat with one hand, a towel in the other and a long bloody cut gracing his partly shaved jaw.

"_What the hell happened?!_"

"GUYS! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!" Shouted Franky.

Popping out his head out Luffy dashed to the prow, catching Chopper on his way, giggling like a kid. Zoro, who looked ready to kill walked hastily to the boat's front. Soon, all the other followed at different paces. However, when the entire crew arrived the same bemused expression stretched on their faces.

There was an old man, so old that he looked more like a dry raisin than a man, shuddering, no doubt because of his age, and provided with a knotty cane. He was standing in a tear of sand in the middle of the ocean, and his only company was a sign informing simply; _Queue for tourists - Please prepare your tickets_.

"Ahoy…"Said the old man, right eye twitching, and the cane forming patterns in the sand, because of the quivering. "… Ye want tickets?"

The crew exchanged glances while their captain tilted his head, curious;

"Tickets for what?"

"To stand in the Center of the World of course!"

"The Center of the World? Sound fun! Here it is?"

The old man blinked;

"I'm standin' on it."

Luffy seemed a bit put out by that particular information.

"It's just sand."

"Aye, but this sand is very sp'cial, lad!"

"Why?"

"'Cause that's the sand on the Center of the World!"

"Ah, that makes sense!" Exclaimed Luffy nodding his head.

Usopp rubbed his forehead; no way in hell that _conversation_ made sense! It was just too weird to see an old guy just stand in small tear of sand, in the middle of nowhere!

"It's rather small to be the Center of the World." Remarked Robin.

"Ye right, beauty." Said the old man deflating. "That's because it's only the Center of Damn the Mark Arch'pelago."

A second was enough for the crew to react at this sentence, and Luffy had to voice their feelings loudly;

"_YOU LIED!_"

"Oh… oops, sorry lad… I wasn't supposed to say that… " The old man even abandoned for a moment the funny pirate's accent. "Huh… This is _really_ the Center of the World…" Then seeming to realize his slip-up tried again; "Ye want tickets?"

"_I'M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE YOU NOW!_"

"Damn the Mark is the last entry of the logbook." Revealed Robin with a curious tone. "It's good news. We may be able to find some clues around here."

"So which of ye is the cap'n?" Asked the old man blatantly ignoring the most vocals mans in the crew who were still expressing loudly their discontentment. That question however was enough to make them pause.

"I am." Chorused Luffy and Usopp had the same time, leaving the crew and the old man confused. Usopp tilted his head surprised by his intervention; it seemed familiar. However none of them had the time to question it. Two large bags chucking white gas landed on the deck.

Pinching his nose Franky run to one of the bags, hoping to kick it far away. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in spilling even more gas across the ship.

"It's me, or the sea its opening?" Asked Zoro in a bored tone, pointing to the rectangular black hole that he could see in the boat's rear and that was rapidly growing and advancing toward them, while at his side the poor Usopp seemed to be ready to throw up his lungs.

"Yep, its opening. Strange, huh?" Confirmed Sanji lighting a cigarette.

"How is this possible?" Asked Franky.

"Isn't that some sort of canal lock?" Asked Brook.

"A canal lock, In the middle of the sea?" Growled a bemused Zoro.

"A mysterious lock." Murmured Luffy nodding.

"Can't you stop being so uncaring about it and do something?!" Shouted a panicked Usopp.

"Calm down." Said Zoro. "The boat is stuck on the front by the Center of the Universe, and it impossible to just move the ship on the side."

"It's the Center of the World, Zoro." Corrected Luffy poking is nose. "Not of the Universe."

"Actually," said Robin. "It's the Center of the Damn the Mark Archipelago."

"WERE GOING TO DIE!" Shouted Usopp before the ship has engulfed by the rectangular black hole, the only sign of his presence being the already dissipating gas.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the wait! **

Chapter 07

Crockpipe Islet

* * *

_"A change by which the action veers round to its opposite, subject always to our rule of probability or necessity." _Aristotle definition of peripeteia.

* * *

It downed on Zoro that it was the second time in two days that he had woke up in an unknown localization. This time was even more bothersome; someone had tied him up and something that appeared to be a crying animal of some kind had awakened him.

A growl escaped Zoro's dry throat when he tried to get up from the cold and hard floor. But something else heavy was slumped over him. Way too heavy for a man that was bound and gagged.

From the corner of his eye, he recognized the blue electric tuft of Franky. An out cold Franky. _He_ was the something else heavy embedded on Zoro ribs. And Zoro's muffled shouts didn't seem to have any impact on the robot/cyborg/or whatever the hell this out cold Franky was.

Through the bars of his dark cell, he made out what appeared to be a… a mummy in a suit, and blond locks springing wildly from the bandage. Zoro frowned realizing that the crying animal was one of his crew mate/brother in misery/or whatever that guy was to him.

"_Fmanfi?"_ Was the only thing he could formulate.

"They snatched away the paper-bag." Brook was in the same cell with Sanji. He seemed rather exhausted. But he may have had to look after the poor mess that was their cook. Was the paper bag _that_ important? "He isn't injured…" Brook voice grew a bit high, lifting his hands in midair exasperate. "He took all the toilet paper!" Zoro blinked. So… it wasn't bandages? Wait a minute. They had toilettes down there? "What I'm going to use to whip my…"

"They took Luffy and Usopp." Interrupted a voice. Zoro gratefully turned his head to look at the cell across from his to see Robin and Chopper. He frowned realizing something; why was he the only one bound and gagged? It wasn't fair! Misreading his expression, Robin continued. "From what I gathered, they didn't know which one was the captain, so they took the two."

"Aomfo?" How so? Why did they want the captain?

"I'm not sure… Brook… can't you… maybe try to help Zoro?"

"Ah? Oh, sure!" Brook extended an arm, his body against the iron bars, to gain some inches. He barely touched Zoro's gag. "You have to move Zoro!"

Brook and Zoro did need some agility, taking into account that Franky was still on top of Zoro. After many imprecation and weak advices to roll on the side, Zoro finally succeeded in taking out the rag from his mouth.

"We have to get out of there!"

That comment was received by exasperated crewmates. It wasn't as if they just stood there doing nothing while he was out cold!

"Go ahead, grab the key," Started the mummified Sanji. "She's over there."

_Over there_ was a sleeping guard half slumped and snoring on a table. A bunch of keys was attached to his belt. The guard's chair was against the wall next to Chopper and Robin's cell, but nonetheless out of reach. The guard fidgeted in his sleep making the keys tinkle as if nagging the poor Straw Hat crew.

"If that elastic guy was there…" Mumbled Brook.

"That's it!" Zoro say. "Do any of you have some kind of power? Brook if you launch one of your hands outside, can she grab the key by herself?"

Brook appeared startled and slightly offended. Cradling his hands against his chest he seemed to glare at Zoro. Seemed. Because with vacant orbits it was difficult to understand the living skeleton expression.

"You want me to cut off my hand?!"

Zoro shot him a confused glance;

"Is there anything to cut? Your only bones!"

"Heartless man!" Cried Brook.

"Lawn monster!" Agreed Sanji.

"Cruel pirate." Added Robin blankly.

Chopper let out a growl glaring in his direction, and even Franky in his sleep gave out some kind of snort.

"Oh! Shut up!" Zoro roared. "Do any of you have a better idea?" After some mumbling and shrugging Zoro sighed. Brook was right if their elastic captain was there… He lifted his head a though crossing his mind. "… Think about reaching the key!"

"What are you talking about?" Sanji asked aggravated. Zoro didn't know but the poor cook had a mental breakdown when the bandits took is paper-bag. If not for Brook he would still be crying like a baby under his jacket. Unfortunately for Brook he didn't count on being barren from the most crucial item of the W.C.

"If any of us has any kind of strange power maybe he can use it to reach the keys!"

Sanji was unconvinced. After all, it was an idea coming from the same guy who wanted to detach Brook's hand thinking that she would somehow become alive on her own. Still, he tried like the other mumbling _key_ repeatedly under his breath, while thinking hard.

They felt so stupid – that was mostly Robin – looking like constipate insane patients, grunting –wheezing in Franky case – eyes closes hands on their head that they didn't really thought that it could work.

But it did. It worked.

It was a bit of a surprise went hands sprouted on the wall. Sanji stared, letting his jaw drop to the ground next to Brook's. Hands outstretched, looking like perfect copies of Robin's arm. Blinking only once, Robin curled her hand – the original – watching mystified as the others ones – _sprouting from the wall! _– also curled like a weird wave of disembodied appendage. While she practiced the new found ability in wonder, Zoro felt one of his eyebrows twitching.

It wasn't irritation.

"Now." _Maybe_ a tiny bit of annoyance. "Could you get the damn key?"

"'ive more m'nute, m'ma…" Burbled Franky.

Zoro face-faulted. That guy was sleeping?!

"Franky!"

Once free, their guard was quickly disposed off in one of the now empty cells. Now the Straw Hat crew was trying to discreetly escape the bandit lair. They did a couple of wrong turns and stops, dodging bandits who were patrolling… or more like strolling down the hall unconcerned.

Unfortunately they didn't succeed being discreet for too long. With a mummy, a pet, a robot, a guy with green hair, and a living skeleton it was difficult to stay inconspicuous. Robin would have been the regular factor of the group if she didn't try to use her power to look like a Hindi goodness.

So, yeah, they soon found themselves running away from an all bunch of bandits.

On their run, a bit after losing some of their pursuer in a left turn, Zoro stopped abruptly.

"Wait, wasn't that our orange trees in the tunnel?"

And sure enough they recognized the folded Jolly Roger on the top of some boxes.

"They took whatever they could from the ship." Robin scowled, looking around. "We need to find the log."

The crew paled, before rummaging around the box, looking frenetically for the book containing a part of their lives, and the keys of their identities. And they found the strangest things… like a box containing only sea shell, and some kind of boat without any sail.

"Why do we keep that junk?" Asked Franky.

"What is that?" Asked Brook rising to the light one of the green and musky little balls from the satchel.

"WE FOUND THEM!" Yelled one bandit at the tunnel entrance. He was rapidly joined by others, all of them armed.

"I found it!" Shouted Robin.

Zoro snatched one of the little balls that Brook had been eyeing curiously before throwing it to the bandits. Now understand that Zoro didn't do that for any other purpose than to blow out is irritation. It was an irritated throw if you will. Swords seemed useless on Zoro's hand, even if he was supposed to be an expert of some sort, and he was aggravated to be so unprepared for everything! Okay, maybe some frustration was also present on that irritated throw.

But still, no one expect anything from the flying equivalent of a childish stomp. The bandits didn't either.

So both camps were very surprise went a giant cannibal plant appeared in front of the bandits, snatching toothless and screaming men on the air with evident glee.

"Wow…" Mumbled Brook.

"We can use that." Nodded Zoro. He cleared his throat; "Now we only had to find the bandit's boss."

The bandit's boss in question was nursing a whisky and a headache, will trying to make sense of things that only could make sense in a subordinate's head. Flore Troublewalker, the boss in question, had the bad habit to chew the end of her cigars. She couldn't help it; some days chewing a cigar's end was the only thing that keeps her from killing one of her subordinate. It wasn't exactly their fault, but the gods knew that if they had some kind of use for their brains they wouldn't be bandits.

And the next days were going to be even more ethic than usual because of the festivities announced for the princess's return. It means that in the following weeks hundreds of luxurious ships while be roaming the archipelago, and that her men while probably want to double or triple their usual catches. But it would also mean that the Royal Navy and the Marines would be out there, and she had to reorganize the watch duty. And calm down the most idiotic and overenthusiastic member of the gang. And she just knew that the irritating lord Matin would be out there trying to capture her! And…

"Ahoy!"

A growl escaped her throat when Old Puck entered her narrow and stuffed office. But she had to bite back a smile, when her elderly second in command, retreated coughing furiously because of the smoke and the heavy tobacco smell.

"Ye lily livered scurvy dog! Ye smoke like a cannon on battle day!"

"What do you want Puck?"

"Me and the lads had a big catch this mornin'!" He said crocking a smile, while batting the cigar's smoke away. "Pir'tes! There wasn't much, but the ship seems goo' enough for some bucks. "

"Really? Any bounty?" Said Flore already disinterested, lowering her head to the paper in her hand trying to decide what to do with the watch duty, if lord Matin did choose to go out there this week.

"We don't know yet, we send the cap'n to Crock'pe Islet…if one of the crew had a bounty it's him."

That got Flore attention;

"They weren't on our bounties collection?" Then she really growled. "Puck, if you and your team captured beginners again…"

"But, we were bored!" He said trying to defend himself. "And their ship was really nice lookin'! And I was sure to have seen their bounty somewhere on our list, the J'lly R'ger had a straw'at and…"

Flore rolled her eyes making some annotations while Old Puck continued his speech. Surely overstating the catch and the difficulties to capture it by tenfold. Then something clicked in her head. Did he say a Jolly Roger with a straw hat? No. Not possible. They couldn't have… The blood left her face, her cigar almost falling down.

"A WHAT?!"

"Ye heard right darlin', they had a raccoon with antlers…"

Grapping the old bandit by the shirt, Flore let out a panicked shout.

"Straw Hat? Are you sure it was a straw hat?" Puck didn't have the time to respond; a loud explosion was heard, quickly followed by screams. "Bugger! Puck you old senile imbecile! You captured the Straw Hat's crew! They're monsters!"

And as if to proof her reasoning, her door opened letting one of her subordinate stumble into the room, his clothes seeming to have been ripped off.

"Boss! We're under attack! They have cannibal plants!"

**.:S:.**

"So that a pistol?" Asked Usopp analyzing one of the wooden stuff, before looking at their comatose kidnappers. Luffy was the one how made the most of the job, so easily that it was scary. And the captain even had the good sense to wait for the boat to reach the beach before attacking… or maybe not; when Usopp asked Luffy responded that he did it because he was getting bored.

Usopp had tied the men to a tree though. That had to count for something.

"You didn't know? But I'm pretty sure that the story mentioned them." Said Luffy.

"Yeah, but I thought that it was one of those words that people use, but whose meaning never is clear."

"Oh, like a _mystery word_, right?"

"At least I think that I'm good at throwing things from what I understood."

"You don't throw a pistol; you pull the trigger and the bullet inside come out."

"Trigger? That thing?"

"Sorry captain Monkey, can you tell your lad to not shoot me, please?" Asked the only awake but still heavily bruised, bandit. He seemed to make a great deal of effort to be polite.

"I don't know…" Mumbled Usopp playing with the pistol, putting it upside down, with the canon turned to the poor bandit. "That doesn't seem sincere, what to you think captain?" Luffy unconcerned was poking his nose. "… My captain doesn't think it's sincere either."

"Please! I will tell you everything you want!"

Usopp mused that looking dangerous at his perks.

"Where are we?"

"Crockpipe Islet, sir!" Exclaimed the bandit nearly saluting.

"Why did you bring us here?"

"We wanted to see if one of you had a bounty, sir. The Marine have a small local base here."

"Did they have meat?" Asked Luffy playing with his bogey.

"Well, sir, Crockpipe market has everything; it's very protected because of the Marine and the Royal Navy, though, so…"

"They have meat?"

"Well yes…"

"Okay, come one Usopp, I'm hungry!"

"Hey! Wait a minute Luffy!" Shouted Usopp. "We still have to ask about the others!"

"They fine, Zoro is with them!"

Usopp massaged his temple; did his captain forget that Zoro and everyone else forgot about everything? Zoro didn't even know how to use a cut-throat razor!

**.:S:.**

Zoro sneezed, spilling some alcohol on the ground. He winced at the waste, before emptying the bottle in this now comfortably drenched throat. Sitting on the guard's chair while Franky and Brook finished putting in a cell the Old Puck and a very annoyed woman who seemed ready to make the old man walk the plank. Zoro could say that he was a bit more satisfied about the crew's and his skills.

The bandits were so easy to defeat, that the first moment where a little disconcerting. Even their pet, Chopper – who somehow appeared to be a bit traumatized after transforming in some sort of human like deer – made easy job of sending various bandits airborne.

"I'm going to kill you Puck!" Hissed the bandit's chief, her blue bandana crocked, who somehow managed to keep a cigar on her tin shaped lips. She was totally pissed. It was normal, too. They had barely crossed the threshold of her office that the old man was singing everything he knew. None resistance whatever. And now the bandits were all encased like sardine in a can, into their own moldy cells.

"I hope that you will refrain yourself." Said Robin in a monotone voice, flipping through the log. "We need you to find our crewmate and our boat."

"Really?" Asked Zoro with a sour face. "I don't really like that idea."

"And aren't they cozy huddled like that?" Cooed Franky grapping Puck's nose in a childish way. The old man couldn't really move because he was pushed against the cell iron bars by his numerous dubious colleagues present in the small space.

"We need her as a guaranty. If something doesn't occurs like we want…"

Robin cold tone and stare was a bit too much to handle for the bandits who tried to recoil from the straw hat crew. Flore gulped warily. Her men weren't by any mean saints, but apart from robbing and drinking until unconsciousness, they didn't venture voluntarily into that much sinister aspect of a criminal's life.

"Ok! Ok!" Interrupted the bandit chief. "Just don't do anything to them!"

"If they don't follow us." Retorted Sanji in a bad mood; he couldn't find his paper-bag anywhere. But he found some bandage to replace the toilet paper. The only thing visible was one of his eyes and a handful of golden locks.

Franky opened the cell, grapping the bandit chief to pull her out of the mass of bandits; straightening her back she looked at her men with watering eyes and started a deep and heart wrenching declaration about values that Zoro doubted that any of the bandit had, promising that she would come back to deliver them from their agony, that even pirates had some scraps of honor and that they wouldn't soil her with…

"Oy! You're a bandit for god's sake! Stop making us look like the freaking bad guys!" Shouted Zoro red-faced, pulling the bandit's chief by an elbow murmuring curses all the while, trying not to see Robin amused smile, or Franky's tears.

"Brother! That's so… _so sad!_"

"There, there…" Shushed Brook trying to comfort his crew mate. "There is no need to cry!"

"Unless she tries something." Said Robin in a dark tone, making Chopper – who had reversed to his normal seize –shiver;_ she was bluffing, right?_

They reached a cave supplied by sea water. On a small wooden dock, they boarded the only boat big enough for all of them, as the other weren't anything more than smalls fishing boats. The Strawhats watched idly by the side when the chief pulled a rope from the water and hung it to a row of rings by the boat's side.

"In Damn the Mark Archipelago, the only way to sail to an islet to another is to follow colored beacon from the lighthouses. Each color corresponds to an islet. As the sailing is mostly effectuate by night, it his easier for us to do our business when the sun is up, for that we use ropes that are connected to nearby islets; this rope is going to bring us to Crockpipe."

"Ingenious." Said Robin sitting on a barrel keeping an eye on the bandit's chief while the men took the large oars to guide the boat on a short tunnel, an exited where they easily saw the light of day. She opened the log book; "Shall I continue?"

"Are you sure we can read it without the captain and Usopp?" Asked warily Sanji.

"They already appeared in the log, and it's not like they can't read it on their own after that." Grumbled Zoro.

"Very well…" Said Robin reaching the correct pages.

**4 June, after Futako Mizaki City's Lighthouse, the Grand Line**

**Wind 32 knots. My other instrument went crazy.**

**Miss Wednesday and Mister 9 who attacked Laboon begged us to bring them back to Whisky Peak, their island. I don't trust them. But Luffy, our naïve captain, accepted. **

**It started snowing. Sanji had to shovel the deck; ours guests didn't seem very concerned by helping us out. Ungrateful jerks! I had to give them a piece of my mind.**

**The temperatures are going up.**

**Was tricked by the island's magnetic field. Damn!**

**The wind started to blew from what appear to be south-west.**

**The weather went crazy; I don't have time to record every change!**

**Zoro fell asleep on the deck last night. Nothing seems to be able to stir him. The sea appeared to be agitated. A storm is coming!**

Robin frowned, trying to read the messy writing. Almost if the navigator had to write in a hurry.

**5 June**

**I've no idea how to write down this wrecked weather's data.**

**The Merry collided with an iceberg. Where leaking!**

**Zoro is still sleeping!**

**What is wrong with this sea?!**

Flore, on her corner, frowned at the Strawhats. Really? Reading their adventures? Where they that self-centered? What kind of egocentric bastards where they?

**.:S:.**

"This way!"

The town on Crockpipe Islet was horrifying in Usopp opinion; an enormous base of marines was right on the harbor, with canons on the ready, and patrols everywhere. Then the islet seemed also to be harboring the local authorities; soldiers, with blue and white uniforms and who seemed to be as abundant as the marines.

Knowing they were pirates, Usopp didn't want to test their notoriety by walking straight on a patrol. Usopp was running behind Luffy who seemed to follow the smell of meat like some kind of hungry animal. The meager money that they found in their pockets was just enough to pay for a roasted horned-chicken; Usopp had a leg. Luffy gulped down the rest.

Without money, and still hungry, Luffy didn't had any scruples to use his powers to steal a bit of meat from each stand that were in the market. But then, they heard something about a big banquet on the east side of town, and Luffy took off running. After a while, they weren't in town exactly, the nearest house being a bit less than a mile away.

"_There!_"

The first thing that Usopp saw was the two soldiers guarding the entry of a big tent in a large clearing. It was luxurious, red and gold. With banner floating around. Nicely dressed servants. Lavish looking carriage. Classical music coming from inside. And hints of laughs and delicious aromas reaching them.

"Hey! Where to you think you're going?"

One of the guards stopped Luffy with a sharp lance.

Luffy responded logically.

"I'm going inside."

The guard frowned.

"Do you have an invitation?"

And there was Luffy with is undeniable sincerity.

"No."

Usopp face-faulted. He grabbed Luffy by the arms before the guards try to do something drastic. Disappearing behind a row of trees so not to be seen by the guards, Usopp chucked Luffy against one of the carriage.

"What were you thinking?!" Usopp hissed. "This place is full of soldiers! We're death if they found that we are pirates!"

"But I'm hungry…" Pouted Luffy. Then he shrugged. "I can just jump in; there are so many people than no one is going to notice me!"

"No! Don't you have any…" Usopp stopped, his eyes finding a quarry of servant transporting various plate from a makefast kitchen, barely hidden by wooden carriage full of raw food. The servants were transiting the food by a small opening in the tent. "I think I have an idea. But you're going to follow my lead."

"Food!"

"I know!" Sighed Usopp. "Wait for me here! Stay! I'm going to find something that will let us go in, okay?"

Luffy nodded while drooling when one of the cook lifted an enormous piece of steak. Deciding that Luffy couldn't be that irresponsible for only a few minutes, Usopp sneaked around the various carriages of supplies, until he found himself next to the ones daintily made, obviously for richer occupants. He had to dodge some guards, but eventually, he arrived to one of the carriage with a trunk on the top.

"Here goes nothing."

While Usopp was accomplishing his task, some feet away, a certain captain's stomach protested so loudly that one of the cook, grilling a juicy piece of pork rib, raised his head startled. Not seeing anything that could make that noise, the cook wondered if the smells of food at draw some wild animals. He turned to comment the fact to his assistant, but when he tried to turn around the pork rib, the cook found nothing.

"Hold on! Where didn't the meat go?"

His exclamation was soon followed by a puzzled "Where are my beefs?!" Soon fallowed with "My steaks!" And "Who's stole the turkey?!"

Out of earshot, Usopp was ransacking trunks trying to found something that they could use to enter the banquet unnoticed. Namely, disguises. He did found some pants, and shirts, but none of them at this seize. Most of the trunks contained women clothes, perfumes and the like. After the ninth trunk he found a sewing boxes and groaning at the options presented to him, he started readjusting some of the men outfits sheltered in one of the carriage. The result wasn't perfect, but he discovered that he had some talent in manual tasks.

Make is way to Luffy again, with a red knightly suit for his captain.

"Hey, Luffy, could you try that? It could need some readjustments but…"

Usopp stopped short.

Luffy was sitting on a growing pile of bones and empty dish. His face and clothes were grassy, and if not for the music everyone would have heard the loud munching. Maybe because of his rubbery power, his body had stretched — in the large way — making the captain look like a skin colored and enormous beach ball… or an overly round sumo wrestler.

"How did you… how could you…!" Usopp massaged his forehead closing his eyes. "I suppose than you're not hungry anymore?"

"What? I'm still hungry! I could eat all night!"

Usopp deflated slightly. Where was he going to found noble looking clothes for his whale of a captain? Then his eyes glanced at the red curtains packed away on a corner. Another idea formed on his head.

**.:S:.**

Captain Matin was a young and courageous officer of the Royal Army. Matin also happened to be part the _Ten Aristocrats_, the ten noble houses of Damn the Mark kingdom. Some (mostly women) would say that he was also handsome. Other (mostly men) would say that he was too conceited.

He was famous to have captured notorious pirates like Jacky the Bottlehead, and Gaston du Levier. But everyone in the kingdom knew that his arch-enemy was the feisty boss of the Misty Bandits, Flore Troublewalker.

Knowing this, it wasn't very surprising with a troupe of soldier accosted Captain Matin while he was on his way to a banquet organized for the nobles outside Crockpipe with news about the capture of bandits from Troublewalker's gang.

Strangely the bandits were found injured, roped to a tree and near a boat. Even more strangely, the boat had a rope coming from large iron rings and disappeared in the wide ocean. The bandits were so reluctant in answering their questions than captain Matin started to suspect that these ropes were of capital importance. It was very likely that they were connected to the bandit's den. With the bandits whimpered at his speculation, Matin knew that he was right.

The soldiers were a bit surprised to found a second boat. For captain Matin it was a sign from the gods.

He didn't lost time calling for more soldiers who boarded the two boats heavily armed. In an hour, they were sailing, captain at the prow, armed crossed and a grin on his face.

_I'm finally going to catch you Troublewalker!_

**.:S:.**

Flore sneezed loudly enough to interrupt Robin reading.

"Bless you."

She tanked Sanji who offered her a piece of his binding, while wondering if it was Matin or Old Puck badmouthing her again.

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 08

Usopp's tale

_or _

Usopp tells a credible story at Luffy's expense

* * *

"_Those who don't know always know as much as those who don't know more than they." Pierre Dac_

* * *

The Straw Hat crew was huddled together next to the mast, listening to Robin narration with rapt attention. Their hostage however – attached to the aforementioned mast – didn't have any choice in the matter, as Robin had choose to sit right next to her on a barrel of grog that Zorro was happily emptying. Well, Flore supposed the swordsman was happy; it was difficult to tell with the nearly permanent frown on his face.

It wasn't as if the reading was dreadful, it was quite interesting as the writer explained the correct use of a log pose in between some swearing against the wrecked weather near Red Line, and moaning for a relaxing hot bath.

_**7 June**_

_**The recognizable silhouette of Cactus Island is visible on the finally calm sea. Hopefully the log pose isn't going to take long to set to our next destination. I don't really want to spend more time than necessary on the same island as our weird passenger; they jumped ship as soon as the cactus form was identifiable on the horizon. Maybe they didn't want to be saw arriving with pirates? It's a bit insulting if I think about it; they were the ones who looked like ready to commit some shady business!**_

_**Something is happening outside; I heard the inhabitant shouting something. If they are overly hostile against pirates this is going to be a problem, we need information and restocking. I'm going to go before the boys start something stupid.**_

_**8 June**_

_**I really don't know how we ended up it this situation.**_

_**Everything is calm now, the crew, the wind and the sea.**_ _**I'm writing from the crow nest, observing the horizon searching for any suspicious ships or weather. Last night – some hours ago in fact – we unfortunately attracted the attention of a very powerful enemy. A knew that the inhabitant behaviors was suspicious, but I never thought that they were from a crime syndicate!**_

_**It all started when we were warmly welcomed by the inhabitant of Whisky Peak, the sole town of Cactus Island, as if we were heroes. On the piers we were immediately greeted by the mayor Igarubpoi who kindly asked us to join their party. If that wasn't weird enough all my questions about how many time the log pose needed to be set were diverted. **_

_**A though came to me then; even if for some reason pirates were heroes in Whisky Peak, wasn't the town supposedly at the edge of starvation? Wasn't that why the two weirdoes were trying to kill Laboon?**_

_**I didn't voice my doubts. Luffy was too eager to reach the promised banquet on our honor, and Sanji was already flirting and drooling with everything and anything equipped with a pair of boobs…**_

"So…" Started Zoro blinking turning to the mummy, taking advantage of a pause in Robin's lecture. "You're a pervert…"

"I'm NOT! It was to be a misunderstanding!"

"Don't worry." Intervened Brook. "It normal for growing boys to explore new territories!"

"I'm not like THAT!"

Franky sobbed giving one armed hug to Sanji.

"I don't know why, but I'm itching to write a song for you… I'm going to call it; Shinji, the perverted pirate!"

"SHUT UP!"

_**Soon we were trusted in an inn where we ate and drank into oblivions. Luffy intake of food only stopped when he completely emptied their stock, and by then he was as round as an overgrow beach ball. Or a very large basket ball; Idly the thought of trying to see if he was just as bouncy did cross my mind, however I'm pretty sure that bouncing a captain around had to be a no-no in the piracy book. Even if Luffy was most of the time very accommodating, I doubt that he would appreciate to be used in that fashion. **_

_**Oh God, bouncing my captain like a basket ball? I need to spent time with normal people.**_

_**Of course, even if I had more than my share the alcohol had little effect of me and at the right moment, I pretended to slip on a drunken slumber. It was a good thing that Zoro did the same, because every single inhabitant was a bounty hunter. I could do little against them, so I let Zoro have his fun and kick the asses of an hundred foes.**_

Zoro smirked.

_**From what I could hear, theses bounty hunters worked for something called Baroque Works, a powerful crime syndicate. And who most powerful members had number and days as code names. Yes, the weirdoes who wanted to eat Laboon, Mr. Nine and Miss. Wednesday were actually part of the upper echelons of the most influent crime syndicate of the Grand Line. At the moment, I never thought that we would get irremediably involved against them. I couldn't have been more wrong. **_

_**My greed played against me.**_

_**As Zoro had nearly beaten every bounty hunter, a strange duo appeared in town; Mister Five and Miss Valentine. I think that we attract craziness. I saw a bunch of things in my life because of my situation with Arlong, but I never suspected that it existed in this world a man who used his boogers as bombes… Well, Mr. Five as the user of the Bomu Bomu no Mi could use any part of his body as bombs. Boogers seemed to be just handy. Miss Valentine had the ability to change her weight, and I'm pretty sure her demon fruit name was Kilo Kilo no Mi. **_

_**Incredibly, Mr Five and Miss Valentine weren't there to aid the other member of their criminal association. But to kill two spies within their group. The spies were the mayor ( code name Mister Eigth, parading as Igarubpoi, but who was in fact Igaram captain of Alabasta's royal guard) and Miss Wednesday (who was in fact Nefertari Vivi princess of Alabasta)**_

"You're kid…" Started Flore before being shushed by the crew.

_**Apparently, the princess had grew wary of the influence of Baroque work in Alabasta, and decided to infiltrate the organization with the objective to discover Mr Zero (the boss) identity. Unfortunately, as in fact Vivi and Igaram were successful in their mission, they were in turn discovered as spies.**_

_**Vivi and Igaram respective partners try to fend off Mr Five and Miss Valentine, but failed.**_

_**So that's when my greed came to play. I saw the opportunity to make money out of this. We – and by **_**WE**_** I mean the trio monster of our crew – only had to guard and bring back the princess save and sound to Alabasta in exchange of a little compensation of one billon berry.**_

"She calls that little?" Franky asked eyes wide.

Zoro snorted. Compensation? More like blackmail!

_**And when I thought that Luffy and Zoro almost blew everything up by starting fighting each other like morons! I had to punch them to make them stop! I'm a bit surprised that it worked too… their head are freaking hard. After explaining to Luffy that no, Zoro didn't beat up the inhabitant for fun and that they were indeed bounty hunters, I had the stupidity to think that everything was going to be already, and that in the next days we would gain one billion berry effortlessly.**_

_**That's when Vivi revealed by mistake the real identity of Baroque Work's big boss. It was Crocodile, one of the seven infamous pirates who was an ally of the World Government, and who is so powerful and influent that going against him just pure madness … and unfortunately some kind of creepy duo composed of an otter and a vulture took our portraits, so we were now officially on the Baroque Work's black list.**_

_**We had to flee the island and bring Vivi to Alabasta, so that she could stop whatever Crocodile had in mind. Igaram decided to be a decoy to give us a chance to escape. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and after setting sails, his boat blew up.**_

_**In a frenzied way we prepared our departure, even with Usopp and Sanji still out cold we were quick. Even with a reduced crew the Merry isn't difficult to maneuver. But we weren't quick enough and an unwelcomed guest boarded our ship; Miss All Sunday, the partner of Mr 0, Crocodile. An elusive woman, with the power with an evil fruit who revealed to have let Vivi follow her so that she could discover Mr 0's identity but at the same time – from what Vivi said – reveled to crocodile the existence of spies.**_

_**She told us that the next island was Little Garden, and offered us an Eternal Pose who would bring us directly to Alabasta. It could have been a trap, but it was a very tempting offer; we would have gained time.**_

_**On the other hand, since Miss All Sunday had the bad idea to take Luffy's hat without authorization, everything that she could have said would have been for naught. Luffy crushed the Eternal Pose out of Vivi grasp. Our captain wasn't pissed only because of the hat, but because she killed Igaram.**_

_**Damn… now I have to explain everything to Usopp and Sanji; Zoro obliviously isn't going to do it, and Luffy's explanation would surely resume to something like; **_**we're going to too fight a bad guy! Yeaah!**

**Am I laying it on thick? Probably.**

Before Robin could continue, Brook saw the land. A boat, similar to the one they were in, was on the beach. No signs from Flore's men or from their prisoners.

"They probably already are on the Marine Headquarter." Gulped the bandit chief when Zoro narrowed his eyes.

"Yoohoo!" Laughed Brook. "Does it mean that we have to break them out of prison? How exciting!"

Flore blanched to the point that she nearly fainted; Monkey D. Luffy had a monstrous bounty, and was infamous to his stand against the world government. The small Marine Headquarter of the town had surely called reinforcement! Breaking him out of prison would be insane!

.::.

Luffy and Usopp disguised as nobles successfully infiltrate the banquet. Part of their success came from the unexpected help of the cooks when they asked the soldiers guarding the tent's entrance to protect the food that was being stolen by some kind quick or maybe even invisible growling monster.

Usopp reaching for a glass of wine, spotted Luffy stuffing is now overly round body as if he didn't had any food in weeks. And the oblivious captain was starting to attract some attention from the other guest. A few appeared amused. All the other were degusted.

Usopp face-faulted; he had told him specifically to be subtle! Well, maybe no one saw him enter with Luffy…

"Good afternoon, milord, my name is Lady Zenith." Said an aged matriarch with a dark robe. "My friends are Lady Quatre-Heure, Lady Diurne, Lady Aube, and Lord Midi." The three other ladies were fairly younger than Lady Zenith. Lord Midi was approaching his fifty and seemed trying very hard to dissimulate the fact that he was going bald. "We never saw you or…" The lady frowned in Luffy direction. "…your friend at one of our parties."

Usopp gulped. It was fairly obvious that some groups of nobles were huddling together near them to hear what was being said. He cleared his throat, brainstorming ideas and trying to keep cool. Thankfully, he had put on a long dark coat that hid his shaking legs from view…

"My name is… Ham Lettuced." Said Usopp with a grave voice while glancing at Luffy's sandwich. "Great Duke of Shake the Spear. And my nephew, Leon Eathas…" The nobles scrutinized a busy Luffy next to the buffet table. "Please don't mind him." Usopp started sweating bullet when a noble scoffed. Or course they would mind. It was impossible to not look at Luffy. All the face stuffing was hard to ignore. "It's the only way he found to appease the mourning of his broken heart."

Now most of the group eyes were on him again. Who didn't like a good love story? ... Or a good opportunity to gossip?

"Did his wife past away, Lord Lettuced?" Asked a young woman, Lady Quatre-something.

"Much worse, milady. Much worse." Sighted Usopp dramatically. Keeping quiet for suspense purpose before leaning toward the center of the group has if telling them a secret. "His intended flew away with the gardener."

Gasps of shock were heard around him.

"How awful!" Said Lady Diurne lifting her hand-fan in a pointless attempt to hide her shock.

"It's always the gardener." Said Lord Midi with disdain, seeming to know what he was talking about.

"The poor man… I suppose that you are here to find him an honest lady?" Asked Lady Zenith.

"Yes, his parents couldn't bear anymore do see their only son drowning melancholy… in victuals." Said Usopp with another emotional sight. And knowing that he needed to keep his spectators interested, he added; "When I think that my dear nephew even launched himself after the traitorous gardener!"

"He did?"

"Of course! His pride told him to retrieve what was his by challenging the thief in a duel! Leon put his armors and traveled to meet the gardener." Usopp lifted his fist as if to challenge an invisible foe, before letting his shoulder fall; "But… the gardener was disloyal! He tricked Leon on a land of quicksand! As he was clothed in his battle armor, Leon started to sink. Like a hammer in clear water." The crowd gasped! "He was only rescued in time because of his squire. Alas, the gardener was long gone. And that's when we discovered that Leon's fair lady was been bewitched!"

"Oh Goodness gracious! No!" Gasped Lady Aube.

"What happened?" Pressed Lady Quatre-Ours…no neur? What was her name again?

"We never saw her again, and Leon plunged in this terrible ailment."

"Ailment?" Asked bitterly Lord Midi. "The man just eats; it's pretty healthy if you ask me."

"Lord Midi." Interrupted Lady Diurne. "Don't you see that the poor gentleman had his hearth broken because of an evil man?"

"So what? I divorced three times and a recovered in a week each time. Women are just a hassle; they use their man's money and name. They are sweet in the beginning, but after the wedding they transform in some sort of harpies ..." Usopp cleared his throat, his hand doing a signal above the throat to tell him to just be quiet. The Lord at first found himself affronted. Then he understood; he was presently outnumbered by women, none of them amused by his lecture. He did try to convert his mistake, but the deed was already done. "But that only a minuscule sample of the female population…."

"Harpies, you said?" Said sharply Lady Zenith.

While Usopp discovered the wonder of gossiping, and that Luffy gulped down a banquet mostly by himself, in another part of town the rest of his amnesic crew followed by a perplexed bandit's chef discussed the last log book's passage.

"So Luffy can go fat in one night?" Sanji shook his head awed not knowing that Luffy was beating his own record a few miles away.

Zoro had an unnerving smirk since the end of the reading. He won a fight against an entire town of bounty hunters. Nice ego stroke, isn't it? Of course he preferred to forgot about that little bit mentioning Luffy and him almost thrashing each other if not for their navigator's brutal intervention.

"The most unbelievable part is the fact that we are helping a princess who infiltrates a crime syndicate going by the name of Miss Wednesday." Said Robin who was reading the passage again, trying to find more clues about the Baroque Works organization. Helpfully at the end of that particular entry, Nami had made a list from the information given by Zoro who had a short encounter with that organization, and princess Vivi.

"I wouldn't say help." Retorted Franky. "Not if our navigator is going to make her pay."

Flore massaged her temples. She didn't understand the Straw Hat's crew anymore; they reacted as if they didn't know anything about themselves.

It wasn't helping her nerves to know – via one of her informants in town – that her men never reached the marine headquarter. Couldn't the pirates show a bit more concern? Their captain could have been apprehended by the Royal Army!

But before she could voice her concern something caught her eyes.

They had naturally taken the path to the beach where they would find their boat. Flore's informants in town were going to snoop around for some answer but it could take time. And the Royal Army had seemed very active all day, maybe because of a banquet going on out of town, so Flore and the Straw Hat needed a place discreet to wait.

However when Flore's eye roamed the beach, the two boats that were there, weren't anymore.

"Someone stole my boats!"

"A robber being robbed! Yohohoho!" Laughed Brook.

"It's isn't funny!" Yelled Flore. How dare pirates make fun of her?! They were the first being captured!... Flore winced; _Yeah, and look who is the captive now?_ "Why me?"

"Relax. Maybe your men came back before us and took the two boats." Say Sanji.

Robin sat down on the sand turning the page of the book. Chopper curled immediately next to her, seeming a lot more secure with her that with the other.

"I suggest that we read some more. We have much to cover."

"What did that Miss Whatever say… That our next stop was Little Garden, right?" Zoro stretched lazily against a tree.

"Miss All-Sunday." Correct Sanji.

"Little Garden, with a name like that I doubt that anything interesting is going to happen." Said Franky.

Robin looked the crew, her eyes pausing on the slumped form of Flore, before clearing her throat.

_**9 June**_

_**Reaching island with tropical weather.**_

_**Finally we were successful in calming slightly Vivi. Our crew tranquil attitude toward an encounter with a powerful foe seemed to stress her to no end. That and her inquietude for her country was eating her alive.**_

_**We arrived at Little Garden.**_

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End file.
